Antiseptics for burns: a review of the evidence

The burn patient is easily subject to colonization by microorganisms and infection, due to reduced defence capabilities and immune dysfunction. Moreover, burn units and intensive care units are characterized by a selection of resistant bacterial strains. If the burn patient is not adequately cared for in terms of infection prevention and control, sepsis is inevitable. Nowadays, several different antiseptics and antiseptic dressings are used in the topical treatment of burns, each with positive and negative effects. Topical antiseptics allow control of bacterial load, but they can also cause cytotoxicity and reduce healing rate. Choosing the most effective antiseptic is crucial to preventing infection from compromising wound healing. The present study aims to review the available literature in order to highlight evidence on the use of topical antiseptics in burns.