title: American Burn Association consensus conference to define sepsis and infection in burns.
abstract: Because of their extensive wounds, burn patients are chronically exposed to inflammatory mediators. Thus, burn patients, by definition, already have "systemic inflammatory response syndrome." Current definitions for sepsis and infection have many criteria (fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, leukocytosis) that are routinely found in patients with extensive burns, making these current definitions less applicable to the burn population. Experts in burn care and research, all members of the American Burn Association, were asked to review the literature and prepare a potential definition on one topic related to sepsis or infection in burn patients. On January 20, 2007, the participants met in Tucson, Arizona to develop consensus for these definitions. After review of the definitions, a summary of the proceedings was prepared. The goal of the consensus conference was to develop and publish standardized definitions for sepsis and infection-related diagnoses in the burn population. Standardized definitions will improve the capability of performing more meaningful multicenter trials among burn centers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis and Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, Sacramento, California 95817, USA.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Greenhalgh
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Saffle
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gamelli
authors.forename: Tina L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: Jureta W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Tompkins
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Traber
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Mozingo
authors.forename: Edwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Deitch
authors.forename: Cleon W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Art P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ahrenholz
authors.forename: Alice N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Neely
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: O'Mara
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Gary F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Purdue
authors.forename: Warren L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yowler
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Latenser
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000175:diagnosis; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015208:Smoke Inhalation Injury / Q000175:diagnosis; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis