Consequences of thermal injuries on host defense mechanisms

Burn injuries cause measurable abnormalities affecting both specific immunologic responses and nonspecific protective mechanisms. Additionally, these alterations may have a prime role in initiating a sequence of events that contribute directly to the syndrome of multiorgan failure, often the immediate cause of demise in severely traumatized patients. In this review, selected abnormalities affecting both immune and nonspecific inflammatory reactions in patients with extensive burns will be summarized.