Phage Typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Clinical and Epidemiologic Considerations

Bacteriophage typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a useful tool in the subclassification of strains isolated from patients with burn wound infections. A continually expanding set of phages has been developed and used in the study of the epidemiology of Pseudomonas in a burn unit during a six-year period. Predominant types varied from time to time, although type 21,68 was highly prevalent during a two-year period before abruptly disappearing. Strains of type 16,1214 were frequently resistant to Sulfamylon. Specific phage type pseudomonas epidemics were identified on a number of occasions. Conversely, presumed strain-specific outbreaks were shown by phage typing to be caused by a mixed population of pseudomonas strains.