Anaerobic infections of burns.

From August 1980 to June 1982, 102 burn wound specimens taken from 34 patients were studied for anaerobic cultures. Fifteen instances (14.7 per cent) from 8 patients were positive and altogether 12 species were found. The predominant anaerobes were Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Peptococcus, Bacteroides fragilis, and other strains of Bacteroides and Peptostreptococcus. They were mostly discovered in electric burn wounds and burn wounds affecting the perianal and oral areas. Wounds with anaerobic infection usually appeared gaseous, necrotic and ischaemic with foul odour. Nineteen blood samples from 10 burn patients were also studied for anaerobic cultures, and two were positive, one caused by Bacteroides and the other by mixed infection of Peptococcus and Serratia, indicating that the anaerobes played an important role in burn infections. It seems necessary to perform anaerobic culture studies in burn patients as a routine. A comparative study between anaerobic culture and indirect immuno-fluorescence method was undertaken for Bact. fragilis and Bact. melaninogenicus in 47 burn wounds. It showed that the immunofluorescence method was a more rapid, simple, sensitive and specific diagnostic method.