Comparison of surface swab cultures and quantitative tissue biopsy cultures to predict sepsis in burn patients: a prospective study.

This study aimed at evaluating the possibility of predicting septicemia in burn patients by using wound surface and tissue culture techniques as well as blood cultures. Fifty patients with full-thickness burn wounds covering at least 10% of the total body surface area were included. Signs of septicemia were noted in 21 patients (42%) and 29 patients died (58%). The bacterial colonization of the burn wounds consisted mainly of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Sepsis was better correlated to quantitative burn tissue biopsy cultures than surface swab cultures but the time needed for processing limits its predictive and therapeutic value.