ABSTRACT
Introduction.................................................................................................................. 72 Changing Scope of Infectious Morbidity in Burns................................................... 73 Burn-Induced Immunosuppression........................................................................... 73 Diagnosis and Management of Specific Infections.................................................. 75 The Dilemma of Systemic Antimicrobial Therapy in B urn s.................................. 79
INTRODUCTION
Septic morbidity in severely burned patients poses an enormous challenge to even the most experienced critical care physician. Many features unique to burn patients make diagnosis and management of infection especially difficult. Burn injury represents the most extreme endpoint along the spectrum of traumatic injury and as such is associated with profound alterations in host defense mecha nisms and immune function. These derangements predispose thermally injured patients to local and systemic invasion by microbial pathogens.
