The Study on Bacterial Load Following Open-to-air Management in Burn Patients.

Burns are one of the common forms of trauma and are a cause of unintentional death and injury in the world as well as in the United States (US). Management of burns becomes complex due to multiple associated complications, which result in short-term and long-term disability. Secondary infection of burn wounds is the most common complication associated with burn injuries. Approximately 10,000 people die in the US due to burn-related infections. For instance, gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic organism commonly found in burn wounds. Bacterial infections cause prolonged hospital stay, increase morbidity, and mortality of burn patients. Treatment of bacterial infections with antibiotics is becoming more challenging due to the development of multidrug-resistance. Hence, current antibiotic regimens and wound care are not always successful in eliminating bacterial infections. As such, there is a critical need to investigate and establish non-antibiotic approaches to prevent colonization, control growth, and eliminate bacteria from burn wounds.

Recent studies have explored the beneficial effects of open-to-air strategies on wound healing, especially in the presence of necrotizing infections. In an open-to air strategy, the wound is left open to the external environment with a heat lamp placed at 6 feet to promote drying. However, the spritz of a topical solution will be applied to avoid excessive drying. Based on current evidence, the investigators hypothesize that bacterial load in burn wounds will be lowered when treated with an open-to-air strategy compared to the traditional closed wound approach.