Results of microbiological surveillance in patients with high-voltage eletrical injuries: A 10-year single center experience.

Background and aim: High voltage electrotrauma is one of the most serious injuries we can encounter in modern medicine, often associated with multiple disabilities and high susceptibility to infectious complications. These patients are admitted to specialized burn centers and require extensive multidisciplinary collaboration. In this study, we aim to uncover the prevalence, types and characteristics of microbial infections that develop in the aftermath of high voltage electrotrauma and to identify risk factors that may contribute to patients' susceptibility to infections.

Material and methods: For the purposes of this publication, data of all 37 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of the University Hospital in Brno with a diagnosis of high-voltage electrical injury between 2006-2016 were processed. Imprints and swaps from exfoliated areas were repeatedly taken for microbial analysis, together with tracheobronchial aspirate fluid, sputum, or bronchoalveolar lavage, urine and peripheral blood. The obtained data were analysed retrospectively.

Results: Among the 37 patients, the median age was 31.9, with an average hospital stay of 44.3 days and a mortality rate of 8.1%. A total of 28 individuals were dependent on artificial lung ventilation. The incidence of infectious complications varies during the hospitalization period according to the location of sampling cultivation and time spent at the hospital. 97.3% of patients developed infection in at least one body compartment. In 88.8% of cases, it was multipathogenic and in 41.6% a septic condition developed. In our study cohort, G+ dominated over Gstrains. Most common representatives from G+ spectrum were Coagulase negative Staphylococci (97%), Staphylococcus aureus (57%), Enterococcus fecalis et faecium (51%). In Gspectrum, the order was as followed: Klebsiella pneumoniae (46%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (41%), Escherichia coli (35%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (18.9%). The most common infection observed was burn wound infection (BWI), followed by bloodstream infections (BSI), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), and urinary tract infections (UTI), primarily caused by G+ pathogens. Notably, an increased hospital stay duration was associated with a rising prevalence of Gpathogens, particularly K. pneumoniae P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii which exhibited a high degree of antimicrobial resistance.

Conclusion: This study provides a detailed insight into the occurrence and consequences of high-voltage electrical injuries in Moravia over a decade. Factors significantly impacting survival and severity of outcomes included total burn surface area, full-thickness burns, inhalation injury, and the need for tracheostomy. However, the study is limited by its relatively small sample size, long data collection period with potential changes in clinical practice, and single-center design, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Further multicentric studies are needed to validate these results and refine infection prevention strategies in this patient population.