Wound Infections in Tsunami Survivors: A Commentary

Survivors of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami sustained a variety of wound infections, ranging from common pathogens to rarely seen organisms. This article discusses the likely microbiology potentially seen in wound infections with exposure to freshwater, seawater, soil, faecal or other contamination, and attempts to provide an organising framework for choosing empiric antibiotics for such infections. Therapy for less frequently encountered clinical entities is also discussed, including tetanus, cutaneous and septicaemic melioidosis, post-traumatic mucormycosis, Vibrio vulnificus and Aeromonas hydrophila.