Understanding the Burn Wound Microbiome: Comparing Traditional Wound Cultures to Next Generation Sequencing Technology

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH, GALVESTON · Mar 1, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking to learn more about the microorganisms that live in burn wounds, known as the wound microbiome. Researchers want to compare traditional methods of testing for these microbes with new technology called next-generation sequencing. By understanding the role these microorganisms play in healing and complications, they hope to improve treatment outcomes for patients with burns.

To participate in this study, you must be an adult aged 18 or older with a partial or full thickness burn that requires surgical treatment. This includes individuals of any gender and background, as well as those who are pregnant or have other health conditions. If you join the trial, you can expect to provide samples from your burn wound, which will help researchers gather important information. It’s worth noting that children and certain patients, like those with very small wounds or specific locations of burns, will not be included in the study. Your participation could help improve care for future burn patients!

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • All adult patients (18 years of age and greater) admitted to or consulted by the Acute Burn Surgery service with a diagnosis of a partial thickness or full thickness burn wound determined by the Acute Burn Surgery service to be appropriate for operative intervention. We will include patients 18 years of age and older of any gender, race, prior therapy, or pre-existing medical condition. We will also include subjects in special classes, including pregnant women and cognitively impaired persons.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Children (less than 18 years of age) will be excluded. Patients who do not undergo operative therapy or patients whose operative therapy does not involve tangential excision of burn wounds will also not be eligible for inclusion by virtue of not being able to provide appropriate biospecimens. Patients whose burn wounds are isolated to the genitalia and perineum will be excluded from the study. For patients who have multiple burn wounds including those to the genitalia and perineum, it should be noted that excised tissues from the genitalia and perineum are not eligible for inclusion to the Burn Wound Data/Bio-Repository. Finally, patients whose operative intervention results in less than a total of 4 grams of discarded tissue will be excluded due to insufficient specimen for proper tissue analysis. Any tissue allocated for pathology or that has already been physically discarded into a trash receptacle will not be eligible for inclusion in the Burn Wound Data/Bio-Repository. We will also exclude prisoners from this study.