Multidrug-Resistant Organisms: The Silent Plight of Burn Patients

J Burn Care Res. 2024 Aug 6;45(4):877-886. doi: 10.1093/jbcr/irae075.

Abstract

The global increasing spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is threatening the control of various infections in vulnerable populations and patient groups. One of the most affected groups is patients with burns, who are prone to hyperinfection as they suffer from a hypermetabolic state and weaken immune barriers. Those patients also share the infection risk of patients hospitalized for a long time, including ventilator-associated pneumonia and urinary tract infections. While some preventative and therapeutic management styles are still controversial, we discuss consensuses here. In this review, we aim to present the current knowledge on multidrug resistance with a special focus on patients with burns, discuss various causative organisms and their treatment options, and highlight the importance of antibiotic stewardship and teamwork in responding to an outbreak of MDROs.

Keywords: burn; infection control; multidrug-resistant organisms.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Burns* / complications
  • Burns* / drug therapy
  • Burns* / microbiology
  • Burns* / therapy
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial*
  • Humans

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents