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Albert T. McManus, PhD; Seung H. Kim, MD; William F. McManus, MD; Arthur D. Mason, Jr, MD; Basil A. Pruitt, Jr, MD

Arch Surg. 1987;122(1):74-76.

Abstract
• We examined the association between quantitative microbiologic results and histopathologic findings in divided biopsy specimens from 200 burned patients. Microbiologic counts were determined as log₁₀ colony-forming units per gram of disrupted tissue. Histopathologic results were scored on a scale of 1 to 6, values of 4 or greater indicating microbial invasion of viable tissue. Agreement of 96.1% was found between negative cultures, arbitrarily identified as those with fewer than 5 logs/g, and histologic absence of invasive infection. In sharp contrast, however, histologic invasion occurred in only 36% of specimens with positive cultures. Though low tissue counts are essentially synonymous with negative histologic findings, quantitative microbiology is not a diagnostic substitute for histologic examination, since high tissue counts quite commonly do not indicate invasion. The principal value of quantitative burn-wound biopsies is the demonstration of predominant burn-wound flora.

(Arch Surg 1987;122:74-76)

Author Affiliations
From the US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, Tex.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication June 24, 1986.

The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.

Read before the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Surgical Infection Society, Chicago, April 21, 1986.

Reprint requests to Library, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6200.

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