Dr Nicholas Tang¹, Dr Yu Ting Tay¹, Ms Sally Kiu-Huen Ng^1,2

¹Eastern Health, Ringwood East, Australia, ²Victoria Adult Burns Services, The Alfred, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract:

While the management of burn wounds have continued to evolve and improve over the years, folliculitis remains an under-represented but common sequelae in the burn patient. The aim of this study is to provide literature review surroudning folliculitis in the burns patient including pathophysiology, risk factors and management.

Risk factors for folliculitis include, second-degree burns, burns that involve greater than 20% of the total body surface area and flash burns  (Rice & Orgill 2021). Studies have shown that folliculitis can arise in both previously healed or healing donor sites, with pathophysiology purportedly linked to trauma from not only the burn site but also the graft harvesting donor site. It is primarily a clinical diagnosis with causes ranging from non-infective to infective aetiologies (Durdu & Ilkit 2013). Other methods of diagnosis include punch biopsy and histology sampling (Norbury 2016). Currently, there is no standardized pathway that identifies the best course of treatment for folliculitis in burn patients. The goals of treatment are to reduce bacterial load, promote healing and prevent complications (Victorian Adult Burns Service 2022). These range from simple wound care, topical treatment up until surgical debridement. Research on this topic is scarce, further studies are required to identify better diagnostic and management strategies.

190 words

References:

1. Rice P & Orgill, DP 2021, Assessment and classification of burn injury, viewed 9 May 2022, <https://www.uptodate.com/contents/assessment-and-classification-of-burn-injury/print>.
2. Durdu M & Ilkit M 2013, ‘First step in the differential diagnosis of folliculitis: cytology’, Critical Reviews in Microbiology, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 9-25.
3. Norbury W & Herndon DN, Tanksley J, Jeschke MG, Finnerty CC 2016, ‘Infection in Burns’, Surg Infect (Larchmt), vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 250-255.
4. Australia: Victorian Adult Burns Service 2022, Burns Management Guidelines Victoria, viewed 9 May 2022, <https://www.vicburns.org.au/>.

Biography:

Plastics registrar currently training in Victoria