The authors elected to determine the relative effects of hyperglycemia and/
or elevated wound Gram-positive bacterial counts on success of skin graft s
urvival in 74 burn patients. Results of serum glucose and quantitative woun
d biopsies on the day of admission and on postoperative day 4 were charted.
Cases were separated into the following groups for analysis: normoglycemia
plus normal bacterial counts, elevated bacterial counts only, hyperglycemi
a only, and hyperglycemia plus elevated bacterial counts. Successful graft
"take" was defined as survival of 80% to 100% of the grafted area as assess
ed on postoperative day 4. Significant results included decreased incidence
of graft take for groups with hyperglycemia only (62.5%), elevated bacteri
al counts only (63.3%), as well as hyperglycemia plus elevated bacterial co
unts (54.5%) when compared with the group with normoglycemia plus normal ba
cterial counts (92.8%; p = 0.020, p = 0.042, p = 0.012 respectively) for ph
ysiological parameters measured on postoperative day 4 only. Additionally,
incidence of graft take was reassessed and found to be decreased significan
tly in groups with hyperglycemia (60.0%) vs. groups with normoglycemia (84.
6%), regardless of Gram-positive bacterial counts (p = 0.034).