Profile of antimicrobial use in burn patients admitted to an intensive care unit

Background and Objectives: After extensive burns, infections are a major cause of death. This study aimed to identify bacterial infections and antimicrobial consumption in burn patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at a public trauma referral hospital in 2022. Data were obtained from patient medical records. Antimicrobials were classified following the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) system, and the amount administered was expressed in Defined Daily Dose per thousand patient-days (DDD/1000). Results: A total of 64 burn patients were hospitalized during the period, 75% of them were male, aged 18 to 83 years. The main cause of hospitalization were fires (45%), with the mortality outcome observed in 25% of cases. Bacterial infections were present in 73.4% and fungal infections in 4.7% of cases. In total, 263 microorganisms were isolated, including Gramnegative bacteria (n=183), Gram-positive bacteria (n=73), and fungi (n=7). A total of 15 different antimicrobials were used, totaling 13,060 units dispensed. The total antimicrobial consumption during the study period was 1,111.20 DDD/1000, with the most used antimicrobials being meropenem (281.0 DDD/1000), oxacillin (250.5 DDD/1000), polymyxin B (1.8 DDD/1000), and vancomycin (178.0 DDD/1000). Conclusion: Bacterial infections show a high incidence among critical burn patients. The use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, such as meropenem and vancomycin, may be related to the infection profile of these ICU patients.