Fungal burn wound infection. A 10-year experience
W. K. Becker, W. G. Cioffi Jr, A. T. McManus, S. H. Kim, W. F. McManus, A. D. Mason and B. A. Pruitt Jr
US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX 78234-5012.
To evaluate our experience with fungal burn wound infection, we performed a
10-year review for comparison with our experience with bacterial burn wound
infection. During the study period, a marked decline occurred in bacterial
wound infection but not in fungal wound infection. Patients with either
bacterial or fungal burn wound infection had massive injury, with burn size
averaging greater than 50% of the total body surface area. Factors that
appear to have markedly reduced bacterial burn wound infection, including
patient isolation, topical chemotherapeutic agents, and burn wound
excision, do not appear to have had a similar effect on fungal wound
infection. The mechanism of spread and colonization of fungi, and the lack
of effective topical chemotherapeutic antifungal agents, may explain in
part our findings.
