Women with severe burn injuries are more likely to have bacteria in their blood than men. These are the findings of a study conducted at the University Hospital of Zurich. The results can help to monitor and treat patients in a more targeted manner.
Gender differences have received increasing attention in research and medical practice in recent years. Gender-specific susceptibility, frequency and different symptoms and courses of disease in women and men are now known for various diseases and are included in treatment.
In a retrospective study, a team of specialists in infectious diseases, intensive care medicine and burns medicine at the University Hospital Zurich investigated whether bloodstream infections (bacteremia) occur more frequently in severely burned patients depending on gender. Data from 269 patients who were treated at the Center for Severe Burn Injuries at the USZ between January 2017 and December 2021 were evaluated. With surprising results: the women in the group studied were affected more frequently than men, although women generally have a better defense against infection.
These initial results are to be examined in more detail in a further study. However, the results can already help to improve the treatment of women; for example, the research team recommends that women with severe burns should be closely monitored for bacterial infections in their blood.
The study was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Publication: Nicole J.M. Schweizer et al. Impact of sex on the development of bacteremia in critically ill burn patients: A retrospective cohort study. Burns, Volume 52, Issue 2, 2026, 107845. doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2025.107845.
More about the study
