Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Infection control in a burn center.

J J Lee1, J A Marvin, D M Heimbach

  • 1Department of Surgery, Burn Center, Seattle, WA.

The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation
|November 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

A simplified isolation technique significantly reduced hospital-acquired infections in burn patients, lowering colonization rates and costs. This approach improved patient outcomes by delaying the onset of infections like Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

12-Year within-wound study of the effectiveness of custom pressure garment therapy.

Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries·2010
Same author

The methamphetamine burn patient.

The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation·2003
Same author

Current management of purpura fulminans: a multicenter study.

The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation·2003
Same author

The 2002 Lindberg Award. PRN vs regularly scheduled opioid analgesics in pediatric burn patients.

The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation·2002
Same author

Dermatome setting for autografts to cover INTEGRA.

The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation·2002
Same author

Sleep disturbance after burn injury.

The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation·2002

Area of Science:

  • Infection Control
  • Burn Care
  • Intensive Care Medicine

Background:

  • No consensus exists on optimal isolation techniques for preventing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in burn patients.
  • Burn patients are at high risk for HAIs, necessitating effective infection control strategies.
  • Previous surveillance identified high colonization rates and frequent errors in isolation techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of a simplified isolation technique on microbial colonization rates in a burn center intensive care unit.
  • To assess the effect of the new technique on the timing of infection onset and associated costs.
  • To determine the sustainability of observed improvements in infection control.

Main Methods:

  • Four consecutive 2-month periods of microbial surveillance were conducted in a burn center ICU.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Direct observation assessed adherence to isolation protocols, identifying error rates.
  • A simplified isolation technique was implemented, and its effects were monitored over subsequent surveillance phases.

    • Main Results:

    • Initial colonization rates were 63%, with a 51% error rate in standard isolation techniques.
    • Educational interventions did not reduce colonization rates.
    • The simplified technique reduced unit-acquired colonization from 63% to 33% (p = 0.0514).
    • Onset of Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization was significantly delayed (7.8 to 21 days, p < 0.05).
    • Isolation costs decreased from $53,000 to $30,000 over six months.

    Conclusions:

    • A simplified isolation technique is effective in reducing hospital-acquired colonization in burn patients.
    • The simplified method leads to significant cost savings and delays infection onset.
    • This approach offers a practical and economical solution for infection control in burn ICUs.