[Diagnosis and comprehensive management of sepsis after burn]

Sepsis induced by invasive infection is a challenging problem and the major cause of death after severe burn. With the increasing understanding of sepsis, diagnostic criteria of sepsis were proposed and revised consecutively so that they could be consistent with the clinical practice. Being different from other trauma and critical diseases, diagnostic criteria of sepsis after severe burn were also proposed, and they need further clinical verification. It is believed that comprehensive measures for the treatment of severe sepsis after burn should be advocated. These measures include rapid and effective resuscitation of burn shock, early escharotomy and closure of burn wound, metabolic support, immunoregulation and anti-inflammation, reinforcement of organ support, etc. Although a number of advances have been achieved in the past decades, the mechanism of sepsis need further elucidation, diagnostic criteria of sepsis need further revision, and novel therapeutic measures for burn sepsis should be developed.