Abstract
Burn injury is debilitating and among one of the most frequently occurring traumas. Critical care improvements have allowed for increasingly positive outcomes. However, infection, whether it be localized to the site of the wound or systemic in nature, remains a serious cause of morbidity and mortality. Immune suppression predisposes the burn population to the development of invasive infections; and this along with the possibility of inhalation injury puts them at a significant risk for mortality. Emerging multi-drug-resistant pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, and yeast spp., continue to complicate clinical care measures, requiring innovative therapies and antimicrobial treatment. Close monitoring of antimicrobial regimens, strict decontamination procedures, early burn eschar removal, adequate wound closure, proper nutritional maintenance, and management of shock and resuscitation all play a significant role in mitigating infection. Novel antimicrobial therapies such as ultraviolet light, cold plasma and topical antiseptics must continue to evolve in order to lower the burden of infection in burn.
Highlights
Despite significant improvement in the morbidity and mortality associated with burn injuries, infection remains one of the most common and serious complications in the care of the burn patient [1,2]
In order to minimize infection, clinical interventions have focused on early burn excision and grafting, novel wound dressings, adequate ventilation and hemodynamic support, improved nutrition, and suitable antibiotic administration [3,4,5,6]
Recognizing infection and recognizing it early enough to prevent progression to sepsis form a critical facet of burn patient care
Summary
Despite significant improvement in the morbidity and mortality associated with burn injuries, infection remains one of the most common and serious complications in the care of the burn patient [1,2]. In order to minimize infection, clinical interventions have focused on early burn excision and grafting, novel wound dressings, adequate ventilation and hemodynamic support, improved nutrition, and suitable antibiotic administration [3,4,5,6]. Burn wound infections complicate 1.8% of all burn admissions and urinary tract infections, cellulitis and pneumonia are the most common fatal infections [2,7,9]. Minimizing risk factors and maximizing the patient’s ability to stave off fatal infections require a truly multi-disciplinary effort
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