An Ounce of Prevention Saves Tons of Lives: Infection in Burns

Overview

Journal Surg Infect (Larchmt)

Specialties General Surgery
Infectious Diseases
Microbiology

Date 2015 Jul 25

PMID 26207399

Citations 6

Authors

Nishant Merchant

Karen Smith

Marc G Jeschke

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Modern day burn care continues to wage an uphill battle against an enemy that evolves faster than we can develop weapons. Bacteria (bioburden) are everywhere and can infiltrate anywhere within our susceptible population of burn patients. This is why prevention of infection is key to improving their survival and outcome.

Purpose: To reduce the incidence of infection in the burn patient population.

Materials: Review of pertinent recent literature regarding infection prevention and control in the intensive care unit setting.

Results: We propose that bioburden is one of the central elements in the infectious cycle that is ever-present in burn units. The mechanism of bacterial entry into the unit and subsequent transmission and infection are delineated. Recommendations for mitigating this risk are provided to guide future clinicians in their care of burn patients.

Conclusions: The treatment of infection and sepsis against highly adaptable bacteria is often insurmountable by ill patients. In this process, bioburden needs to be corralled to have any success. Thus, preventing organisms from entering the unit and transferring onto other patients, and eliminating the bacteria dwelling in the unit are all necessary actions in this battle. Ultimately, maintaining a culture that is constantly wary of this risk only can achieve this goal.

Citing Articles

Topical Antimicrobial Agents for the Prevention of Burn-Wound Infection. What Do International Guidelines Recommend? A Systematic Review.

Garcia Garcia J, Gonzalez Chavez A, Orozco Grados J World J Plast Surg. 2023; 11(3):3-12.

PMID: 36694673 PMC: 9840763. DOI: 10.52547/wjps.11.3.3.

Contemporary Aspects of Burn Care.

El Khatib A, Jeschke M Medicina (Kaunas). 2021; 57(4).

PMID: 33923571 PMC: 8073568. DOI: 10.3390/medicina57040386.

Evaluation of burn wound healing activity of novel fusidic acid loaded microemulsion based gel in male Wistar albino rats.

Okur M, Ayla S, Yozgatli V, Aksu N, Yoltas A, Orak D Saudi Pharm J. 2020; 28(3):338-348.

PMID: 32194336 PMC: 7078556. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.01.015.

Trends in microbial profile of burn patients following an event of dust explosion at a tertiary medical center.

Chen Y, Wu P, Chen C, Chen I, Huang W, Wang F BMC Infect Dis. 2020; 20(1):193.

PMID: 32131752 PMC: 7057658. DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-4920-4.

Management and prevention of drug resistant infections in burn patients.

Vinaik R, Barayan D, Shahrokhi S, Jeschke M Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2019; 17(8):607-619.

PMID: 31353976 PMC: 6996139. DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2019.1648208.

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