Increased Bacterial Burden and Infection

In Brief PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to provide practitioners with an overview of wound infection/inflammation and bacterial balance and to offer a guide to assessment and treatment of chronic wounds. TARGET AUDIENCE This continuing education activity is intended for physicians and nurses who assess and treat wound infections. OBJECTIVES After reading this article and taking this test, the participant should be able to: Discuss factors associated with infection of the chronic wound, including the concept of bacterial balance and burden. Identify signs of infection in the chronic wound and applicable diagnostic tests. Describe appropriate treatment for the infected chronic wound. This continuing education activity focuses specifically on persistent inflammation and infection, and it is the first in a 4-part series that will address the components of wound bed preparation. The debate about appropriate terms to describe infection and inflammation, as well as the use of clinical enablers, will also be described.