To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and pathogen distribution of burn patients at the hospital.

The medical records of 2 434 burn patients who met the inclusion criteria in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from 2019 to 2022 were analyzed, including sex, age, injury factors, burn site, burn severity, and seasonal distribution of burns, as well as the type of pathogen of infection, the source of tissue/body fluid and its drug resistance. The species of pathogens were identified by Matter-assisted Laser Desorption Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry (VITEK-MS), and the drug sensitivity of the top three pathogens was determined by VITEK2 Compact. SPSS27.0 and WHONET5.6 statistical software were used to analyze the data.

A total of 2 434 burn patients were enrolled in this study, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.2915. The average age was 29.8 ±25.95 years old. Adults and the elderly were most likely to have burns in summer, while children were more likely to suffer from burns in spring. Hot water scald was the main cause of disease. A total of 952 strains of pathogenic bacteria were collected, all of which were isolated for the first time. The top five pathogens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterobacter cloacae. The number of pathogens isolated from wound secretions was the largest, accounting for 83.93% (799/952). The resistance rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the first and second generation cephalosporins was 100%, but the resistance rate to aztreonam, tobramycin,and piperacillin decreased. The resistance rates of Acinetobacter baumannii to polymyxin B, minocycline, and tigecyclines were all 0, and the resistance rates to other antibiotics were all ≥ 50.0%. The resistance rate to penicillin and Staphylococcus aureus was more than 90%, but it was completely sensitive to vancomycin, linezolid, tigecyclines, and ampicillin/sulbactam.

Based on the age range division, there are significant differences in gender, cause of injury, prehospital treatment, burn severity, and burn site. Scald is the main cause of injury, limbs are the most prone to burn, and cases occur in summer most commonly. The main pathogen of burn infection is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which mainly comes from wound secretions.