Burn is a thermal destruction of the skin caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, radiation or prolonged exposure to sunlight. Burn trauma results in a breakdown of cutaneous barrier against microbial invasion leading to infection, which is considered as the commonest complication of burn. Burn injury itself and infection may become a stimulus for monocyte or macrophage to produce immunomodulatory and inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α. The aim of this work is to determine the commonest organisms causing burn wound infection and to evaluate the level of TNF-α in burned patients correlating it to burn wound infection. This study included 50 subjects (20 infected and 20 non-infected burned patients as well as 10 healthy controls) from burn unit in Kaser-Al-Aini University Hospitals; over a period of nine months (Aug 2002 to May 2003). In the present study, it was found that P. aeruginosa (65%) was the commonest organism causing burn wound infection, followed by S. aureus (25%) then Klebsiella spp. (10%). There was a significant difference, regarding the degree of burn, between infected and non-infected burn group. The level of TNF-α was significantly increased with infection regardless the type of the isolated organism. Also there was a significant statistical correlation between TNF-α level and both the prognosis of burned patients and TBSA. Conclusion and recommendation: Gram negative bacilli are the commonest microorganisms causing burn wound infection, particularly P. aeruginosa. Determination of TNF-α level may help in assessing the prognosis of infection. Every effort should be made to eradicate infection in burn unit and to prevent its spread between patients. Resistant pathogens are commonly seen in burned patients, so the understanding of the spectrum of pathogens, mechanisms of resistance, use of optimal antimicrobial therapy, and infection control.