The Burns Unit in Copenhagen

Abstract

In constinuation of previous publications on exposure treatment in the Burns Unit, Copenhagen, the occurrence of infections will be described. The present paper gives a brief survey of the literature, and the material comprising 2014 admissions from the time the Unit opened in November 1961 until the end of 1968 is grouped into acute admissions during the first 24 hours postburn, transferred patients, patients treated primarily on an out-patient basis, and re-admitted patients. The method of the study is described, and the definitions used are discussed on the background of the literature. The patients are grouped into non-infected, clinically infected, and bacterially contaminated cases, the burns into predominantly superficial and predominantly deep burns.