Description:
Burn victims are susceptible to a wide array of infectious complications. Overall, care in burn centers with
dedicated specialists in all aspects of burn care has led to advances in the
medical and surgical management of burn victims, leading to a decrease in
infectious complications. Although the
Microbiology Laboratory is rarely called upon to help in the selection of topical
antimicrobial agents, we need to understand how these agents are similar to, and
different from, the kinds of antimicrobial agents more commonly tested and
reported. This article is designed to familiarize Laboratory
Technologist/Scientists with some of the more common antimicrobial agents used
in the topical care of burn patients and to introduce the basic medical
concepts needed to understand how these agents are used by clinicians.
Learning Objectives:
- Reflect on the goal of topical antimicrobial treatment
- Outline various agents used to treat burns
- Identify the classifications of burns
Author(s):
Cherylann McNulty, MS
Gail L. Rodgers, MD
Joel Mortensen, PhD
Launched: 2004