Abstract
Burn wounds induce metabolic alterations that predispose the patient to various complications. nfection is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. Bacterial profile of burn wound patients is diverse, depending on timing and location of injury. Early after burning, the predominant microorganisms are gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. Subsequently, the burn wound colonizes with a variety of microorganisms comprising both susceptible and multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species. This review will help in understanding the epidemiology of burn wound infection and the prevalence of highly resistant bacteria in burn wound patients. In addition, it illustrates the role of strict infection control practices in preventing the nosocomial transmission of microorganisms among burn patients, and it provides guidance for empiric antibiotic therapy to avoid unnecessary broad antibiotic usage, which will reduce mortality and morbidity related to infections and decrease incidence of multi-drug resistant organisms in burn units.