Infection Control in Burns, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Clinics

ABSTRACTInfections in burns and cosmetic surgery patients are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. This review dwells into the role of infection prevention aspects in burns, plastic and cosmetic surgery. Standard precautions should be followed by all healthcare workers caring for all patients with burn injuries. Hand-hygiene forms an integral component of these preventive aspects. For patients with larger burn injuries (> 30% total body surface area [TBSA] burn) it is recommended that they be placed in separate isolated rooms as their wounds may be at higher risk of colonization of multi-drug resistant organisms. Special attention should be focused on appropriate asepsis while handling the patients during burns dressing and also on appropriate disinfection and sterilization of all items being used for such patients. Such measures lead to decreased antimicrobial use and also prevention of catheter-related infections and pneumonia. Surface swab cultures from wounds may lead to misleading interpretation of infective episodes. The importance of hand-hygiene with use of gloves, masks and caps is essential while handling burns patients. Unnecessary antimicrobials should not be encouraged in burn patients as many wounds would have colonizers rather than infective pathogens. However, more studies are required for the most effective combination of aspects of infection control precautions in burn patients.