Comparison of Pediatric Burn Wound Colonization and the Surrounding Environment

ABSTRACT

There are wide ranging practices in barrier isolation standards for pediatric burn patients. The benefits of barrier isolation for burn patients have not been clearly shown through scientific study. Research has shown that patients with a total body surface area (TBSA) burn larger than 30% are more likely to require special precautions, however to date there has been no study that delineates the effect of isolation and precaution techniques on wound infection in pediatric patients with burns less than 20% TBSA. The aim of this research was to determine if small burn wounds (less than 20% TBSA) are colonized with bacterial growth and if that same bacteria is contaminating the patient’s surrounding environment, therefore requiring barrier isolation. The goals of this study were: to determine the colonization rates in burn wounds in our hospital setting, to decrease patient and family anxiety related to barrier isolation, and to decrease unnecessary use of hospital resources, e.g., isolation attire and time. Results from this research study led to a change in hospital policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Barrier isolation
• Infection control
• Pediatric burn

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Johns Hopkins Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control Department, especially Pranita Tamma, MD, MHS and Aaron Milstone, MD, MHS for their support and guidance. We would also like to thank Jenni Day, PhD, RN for her editorial support and expertise.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.