Filamentous fungal infection in burned patients: retrospective study.

Abstract

Infections are the most frequent complications in burn patients. Filamentous fungi have an uncertain place within the statistics, since in our media data regarding their prevalence, causal agents and outcome of those who suffer them remain scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of fungal infection by filamentous fungi (IHF) in patients hospitalized in burn intensive care unit (BICU), and to review clinical, epidemiological, microbiological and evolutionary characteristics of these patients and to know the frequency and distribution of the isolated fungi. Retrospective and descriptive study. It includes all individuals admitted in burns intensive care unit (2012-2015), with positive culture for filamentous fungi in skin biopsies and bedsores. A total of 168 patients were admitted in the BICU in a period of 3 years. 90% were major burned and 17% of them developed IHF (29/168). Aspergillus spp (24%), Fusarium sp (14%), Mucor spp (3%) and various black fungus genera (58%) were the main genera found in cultives. About 24% of the patients with IHF died and Fusarium spp was found in 50% of the cases. The cause of death was irreversible cardiogenic shock with multiorgan failure. Filamentous fungal infection was present in 17% of burned patients. The main isolatte fungi in samples were dematiaceous mould. Mortality among patients was 24%, with Fusarium being the fungus found in the highest number of deaths (50%).