Implications for Burns Unit design following outbreak of multi-resistant Acinetobacter infection in ICU and Burns Unit

We reviewed the emergence of 13 cases of multi-resistant Acinetobacter infection in burns patients over a 12-month period. The outbreak was started in a non-burn patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) that spread to burns patients in ICU and then the Burns Unit. The importance of opportunistic infection, potential risk factors, treatment and clinical outcome of Acinetobacter infection in burns patients from this cluster of cases is described. This paper implicates the movement of burns patients and medical equipment between ICU and the Burns Unit in the spread of this infection. Future design of Burn Units should aim to incorporate features to allow the management of all burns cases in one location with all intensive care, burns and theatre facilities built in close proximity. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd and ISBI.