Table 2.

The American Burn Association consensus definitions of burn wound infection.

Burn wound colonization

Bacteria present on the wound surface at low concentrations.

Pathologic diagnosis: <105 bacteria/gram tissue. *

Wound colonization occurs in all wounds and may be evident by an exudate or swab culture but the wounds are not infected.

Burn wound infection (BWI)

Bacteria present in the wound and wound eschar at high concentrations.

Noninvasive BWI

Pathologic diagnosis: >105 bacteria/gram tissue. *

No signs of invasion of unburned or viable skin/tissue.

Invasive BWI

“Presence of pathogens in a burn wound at concentrations sufficient in conjunction with depth, surface area involved, and age of patient to cause suppurative separation of eschar or graft loss, invasion of adjacent unburned tissue or cause the SIRS of sepsis.”

Pathogen is typically present in the wound at high concentrations.

Pathologic diagnosis: >105 pathogens/gram tissue. *

Invasion or destruction of unburned skin/tissue.

Invasive infection may occur with or without sepsis

Based on the 2007 American Burn Association Consensus Conference [19]. * Note that quantitative cultures are rarely used.