Epidemiology and Emerging Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Multidrug-resistant Aerobic Pathogens Causing Burn Wound Infections: A Cross-sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Introduction: Infection of burn wounds causes delayed wound healing, which can further lead to sequelae like prolonged hospital stay, excessive use of antibiotics, higher treatment costs, increased morbidity, and increased risk of mortality. Timely evaluation of the microbiome profile and antibiotic susceptibility patterns can help prevent these complications. Aim: To determine the epidemiology and emerging antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Multidrug-resistant (MDR) aerobic pathogens causing burn wound infections at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Burn Ward of KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre (MRC), Belagavi, Karnataka, India, from January 2024 to August 2024. A total of 187 wound swabs were collected during this period from all burn wound patients admitted to the ward. Only descriptive analysis was performed using frequency and percentage. No inferential statistics were applied. Age and gender distribution were recorded but not used for statistical correlation. Pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using the Beckman Coulter MicroScan WalkAway automated system according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2023 guidelines. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and expressed as n (%). Results: Of the 187 samples, 120 (64.2%) were culture-positive, yielding 176 isolates. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common pathogen, accounting for 77 (43.7%) isolates, followed by Staphylococcus aureus with 27 (15.3%) isolates. Mixed infections were observed in 42 (35%) of the culturepositive samples. Extended-spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL) production was detected in 11 (61.1%) of 18 Escherichia coli isolates and 7 (43.7%) of 16 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. MDR was observed in 21 (27.3%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates and 3 (27.2%) Acinetobacter spp. isolates. Conclusion: The present study identified Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus as the predominant pathogens causing burn wound infections, with a high prevalence of resistance to commonly used antibiotics such as cephalosporins and carbapenems. These findings highlight the urgent need for regular local surveillance and tailored antimicrobial stewardship interventions to optimise empirical therapy and curb the spread of MDR organisms in burn units.