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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
08:40
Rat Burn Model to Study Full-Thickness Cutaneous Thermal Burn and Infection
Published on: August 23, 2022
[The gut-origin infection in severe burns]
1Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China.
Summary
The gut is a source of infection in burn patients, with microbes and endotoxins translocating from the intestines to cause sepsis. Early enteral feeding protects the intestinal barrier and is now a standard treatment.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
Context:
- Burn injuries can lead to systemic infections.
- Bacteremia in burn patients often lacks a clear infectious source.
- The gastrointestinal tract's role in post-burn infections was initially unclear.
Purpose:
- To investigate the concept of gut-origin infection following burn injuries.
- To determine the mechanisms of microbial and endotoxin translocation from the gut.
- To understand the early manifestation of sepsis in burn patients.
Summary:
- Review of 312 burn patients revealed bacteremia with gut flora despite negative wound cultures.
- Experiments in Wistar rats demonstrated translocation of enteric microbes and endotoxins across the injured intestinal wall post-burn.
- Mesenteric lymph fistula studies showed significant clearance of endotoxin and TNF-alpha in intestinal lymph.
Impact:
- Established the gut as a significant route for endogenous infection after burns.
- Explained the early onset of sepsis in burn patients without a localized infection.
- Led to the clinical adoption of early enteral feeding to preserve intestinal barrier function.
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