The bacteraemia associated with burns surgery

Fifty-four surgical procedures on 39 burnt patients were studied with serial blood cultures. In 25 (46 per cent) of these procedures the cultures were positive. In spite of the absence of prophylactic systemic antibiotics there were no clinical manifestations and not one of the bacteraemias developed into a septicaemia. The role of natural immunity in controlling the bacteraemia is discussed and it is suggested that prophylactic systemic antibiotic therapy covering burns surgery is unnecessary in the presence of normal immunoglobulin levels.