Healthcare-Associated Infections’ Characteristics Among Burn Patients and Risk Factors of Mortality: A Study Based on Data From a Tertiary Center in Iran: Nosocomial Infections Among Burn Patients

Abstract

Background: Burn patients are more likely to get healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The current study aimed to investigate the characteristics of HAI and mortality risk factors among burn patients admitted to a tertiary center in Iran. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 2021 on burn patients who developed HAI after hospitalization in a tertiary center in Ahvaz, Iran. The records of patients admitted and managed between March 2019 and March 2020 were reviewed. Statistical analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS Version 26, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 1,659 admitted patients, 395 (23.8%) developed HAI during the study period. After excluding patients with incomplete medical records and those with fungal or viral infections, 363 patients remained. The majority of these cases occurred in male patients. The most common type of HAI was burn wound infection (56.2%). Patients were mainly affected by Gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (39.7%), while the most common Gram-positive bacteria was Staphylococcus epidermididis (9.6%). The most common antibiotic resistance among P. aeruginosa-infected patients was reported against imipenem, followed by gentamicin and ciprofloxacin; however, the mentioned organism was mainly sensitive to colistin. Gender, age, bloodstream infection (BSI), ventilator-associated infection (VAI), ICU admission, and total burned surface area (TBSA) resulted in 3.585, 1.028, 2.222, 7.469, 5.278-, and 1.031 times higher mortality rates, respectively. Conclusion: Female gender, advanced age, BSI, VAI, and ICU admission are risk factors for HAI. These findings emphasize the need for focused infection prevention and management to improve high-risk burn patient survival.