Trust Your Instincts? Wound Dressings, Airborne Microbes and Infection Prevention

Can something as routine as removing a wound dressing release microorganisms into the surrounding air?

In this episode of Infection Control Matters, Martin and Brett explore a paper by Mellon and colleagues, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, investigating airborne microbial contamination during wound care in a burns intensive care unit.

Using conventional microbiological methods alongside shotgun metagenomic sequencing, the researchers examined air and skin samples over three days from a patient with extensive burns covering 70% of their total body surface area.

The findings are fascinating. HSV-1 DNA was detected in airborne samples during days when wound care and dressing removal took place. Bacterial diversity and antimicrobial resistance genes were also more prevalent during periods of wound care.

Does this support the traditional nursing wisdom of being careful about when and where we undertake wound dressing changes? Could disturbing wounds and dressings contribute to environmental contamination and potential cross-transmission? And should we be thinking more carefully about ventilation, portable HEPA filtration and the timing of wound care?

Paper we discuss: Mellon G, Mahjoub N, Dudoignon E, Depret F, Gabassi A, Osinski N, et al. Assessment of air infectious contamination during wound care in a burn intensive care unit using shotgun metagenomics. Am J Infect Control 2025;53(11):1144–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.08.003.

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