Enterococcal Infections as a Cause of Mortality and Morbidity in Patients With Burns

Enterococcal sepsis is a significant cause of death on our burn unit. In a 3-year period, enterococci were responsible for 11% to 13% of all infections. Bacteremias with enterococci ranged from 4.2% to 2.1% per year. Sixty-four percent of enterococcal bacteremias were polymicrobial. Septic deaths associated with enterococcal sepsis ranged from 20% to 10.3%. Antibiotic resistance to enterococci appears to be increasing.