BACKGROUND: The advances of the treatment of burns have decreased the mortality rate and improved the quality of life of burned patients. Our objective is to analyse, through a case-control study, the risk factors of sepsis in burned patients. METHODS: This case-control study included cases which were treated as in-patients at the Burn Unit of Hospital Regional da Asa Norte, Brasília, Brazil, during an one year period. RESULTS: Forty-nine (19.4%) patients had sepsis amongst 252 cases admitted to the Burn Unit during the period of study. They had one to three septic episodes amounting to a total of 62. Twenty-six (53.1%) were males and the mean age was 22 years (range one year old to 89 years old). The total body surface area burned from the cases of sepsis varied from seven to 84% with a mean of 37.7 ± 18.4%, was significantly higher than controls. The most common bacteria isolated from the blood culture of the cases of sepsis were Staphylococcus aureus (46.5%), Staphylococcus coagulase negative (20.7%), Acinetobacter baumannii (12.1%) and Enterobacter cloacae (12.1%). Thirty (61.2%) patients had their first septic episode either earlier or by one week postburn. The risk factors for sepsis were the use of three or more catheters, the presence of two or more complications, total body surface area burned > 30%, flame as cause of the burn and female sex. In general, the letality rate of sepsis was 24.5%. CONCLUSION: The appropriate knowledge of risk factors of sepsis in burned patients permit early treatment of this complication, with an adequate systemic antibiotics, thus contributing to decrease the morbidity and letality of these patients.
Burns; Sepsis; Risk factors; Cross infection
