Topical antimicrobial cream sensitivity testing.

These gratifying results have made topical antimicrobial sensitivity testing an integral part of bacteriologic monitoring of the burn wound. Presently, we use the needle extrusion test routinely on all burn patients at our center. Its selection over the other antimicrobial tests is based on technical considerations. The needle extrusion test can be completed by an experienced technician within five minutes, but the disk diffusion test and agar-well diffusion test take two and five times longer, respectively. This time saving is an important consideration when the microflora of ten or more burn patient at our center are being monitored by this test every other day. This test system may prove useful for the topical antibiotic selection for the treatment of other wounds beside the burn wound. Its potential value in these other conditions must await the results of carefully controlled clinical studies.