Epidemiology and infectious complications of pediatric burns in French Guiana: a 6-year retrospective study

Background Pediatric burns represent an important cause of hospitalization and morbidity among children worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological characteristics of children hospitalized for burns, with a focus on infectious complications and factors associated with invasive infection in French Guiana. Secondary objectives included the identification of factors associated with infectious complications. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at Cayenne Hospital between January 2017 and December 2022. Invasive infection was operationally defined as sepsis or septic shock according to pediatric SIRS-based criteria associated with suspected or documented infection. Results A total of 165 patients were included in the study. The mean age at admission was 45.5 months, and 94 patients (57%) were male. The most frequent injuries were small-surface burns (10% total body surface area), superficial partial-thickness burns caused by thermal mechanisms, mainly scalding. Involvement of high-risk areas such as the face or perineum was observed in 42% of patients. The mean length of hospital stay was 9.8 days, and 10% of patients required medical evacuation to a specialized burn center. Wound colonization was common, with 87% of skin swab cultures returning positive results; the most frequently isolated bacterium was methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Eighteen of 79 blood cultures (22.8%) were positive., most commonly identifying MSSA followed by Gram-negative bacteria. Forty-eight patients (29%) received antibiotic therapy for a mean duration of 7.3 days. Urinary catheterization was performed in 23 patients, including 16 in the non-sepsis group and 7 in the sepsis group. Overall, 7.9% of patients developed signs of invasive infection, defined as sepsis or septic shock. Univariate analysis identified younger age (21 months vs. 4 years) and a larger burned body surface area (15% vs. 8%) as factors associated with invasive infection. Conclusion Thermal partial-thickness burns were the most common type of burn injury among hospitalized children included in this cohort and predominantly affected children under 5 years of age.of age. Invasive infections remained relatively uncommon in this single-center cohort. Younger age, larger burned body surface area, residence in remote areas, and the use of invasive devices were associated with invasive infection.