GRAM NEGATIVE BACILLI IN BURNS

In a period of nine months, 225 strains of Gram-negative bacilli isolated from burns were identified by a variety of tests in two burn centers in Tehran. The most common species were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter agglomerans, Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Many strains of acinetobacter spp, providencia spp, proteus spp, serratia spp, and Citrobacter freundii were also isolated. All the strains were tested for sensitivity to bacitracin, carbenicillin colistin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, kanamycin, lincomycin, trimethoprim and tetracycline. The proportion of strains sensitive and resistant to different antibacterial agents varied widely with species of bacteria. Most of the strains except pseudomonas spp were sensitive to few of the antibacterial agents and posed no problem with relation to treatment. Pseudomonas spp. were 100% sensitive to polymyxin B and colistin (polymyxin E ) and 90% resistant to gentamicin and carbenicillin.