Do burn patients benefit from digestive tract decontamination?

Abstract

Burn injury has long been associated with infection and sepsis. In addition to the loss of function of the skin as a physical barrier, extensive burns provoke a prolonged systemic inflammatory response, with extreme fluctuations in fluid and electrolyte balance, and impairment of the immune response. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to protect the patients affected from infections. This means that infection control is the cornerstone of good management of burn injuries. Infection prevention can be based on the pillars explained below. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Italia.