Chondritis of the burned ear: a preventable complication

Chondritis may occur in up to 25 percent of burned ears and commonly follows a superficial partial-thickness injury. The onset is usually insidious and often delayed. Prevention is the key, as the treatment of an established infection frequently leads to disastrous consequences. Herein, we have reviewed 136 consecutive inpatients with burns of the ear. The burned ear was managed by careful, twice daily washing with minimal debridement, frequent application of mafenide acetate, and avoidance of pressure on the affected ear. Exposed cartilage was treated in the same manner, with surgical debridement of grossly nonviable tissue followed by skin grafting as necessary. There were no cases of chondritis in the series. Recognition of the potential for chondritis in any burn of the ear underscores the need for careful wound management, even for relatively minor injuries. The extreme difficulty of prospectively identifying the ear that will become infected coupled with the risks associated with more aggressive methods of prevention make these methods unwarranted.