title: Animal models of external traumatic wound infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite advances in traumatic wound care and management, infections remain a leading cause of mortality,morbidity and economic disruption in millions of wound patients around the world. Animal models have become standard tools for studying a wide array of external traumatic wound infections and testing new antimicrobial strategies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animal models of external traumatic wound infections reported by different investigators vary in animal species used, microorganism strains, the number of microorganisms applied, the size of the wounds and for burn infections, the length of time the heated object or liquid is in contact with the skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review covers experimental infections in animal models of surgical wounds, skin abrasions, burns, lacerations,excisional wounds and open fractures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As antibiotic resistance continues to increase,more new antimicrobial approaches are urgently needed.These should be tested using standard protocols for infections in external traumatic wounds in animal models.
authors.affiliation: Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA.
authors.forename: Tianhong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Gitika B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Kharkwal
authors.forename: Masamitsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Ying-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Vida J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Bil de Arce
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hamblin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D013552:Swine; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*