Predicting mortality in burn patients with bacteraemia.

Abstract

To determine factors associated with mortality in burn patients with bacteraemia. Previous studies have shown the negative impact of bacteraemia on the prognosis of burn patients, but only a few of these have analysed variables intervening in the clinical progress of these patients. A retrospective study of adult burn patients (n = 73) with bacteraemia (103 episodes) in a Burns Unit during the 2000-2013 period. The study collected demographic variables, and comorbidity, injury-related and clinical data related to bacteraemia. Variables related to hospital mortality were analysed using a multiple logistic regression model. The cumulative incidence of bacteraemia was 4.4 episodes/100 patients. The mean age was 53.3 ± 19.2 years (65.8 % male). The median total body surface area (TBSA) was 35 %, while 50.7 % of the population had inhalation syndrome. The mean SOFA score at the onset of bacteraemia was 2.7 ± 3.8. The most common pathogen was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.5 %). The mortality rate was 24.7 %. The variables that were significantly associated with mortality were age (OR = 1.13), TBSA (OR = 1.05), SOFA score at the onset of bacteraemia (OR = 1.53) and recurrent bacteraemia (OR = 41.6). In addition to conventional risk factors, recurrence and organ dysfunction at the onset of bacteraemia are also associated with mortality, while the pathogen involved is not a prognostic factor.