Do not routinely swab open wounds and do not prescribe systemic antibiotics based on these results, without clinical features of local or systemic infection.

Most wound swabs in the context of a burn injury will yield bacterial growth. These organisms may be commensal organisms not responsible for wound infection or sepsis, and do not warrant therapy. The use of systemic agents predisposes to antimicrobial resistance, is expensive, and may also expose patients to unnecessary side-effects. Burn wound swabs should form part of standardized admission surveillance programs for resistant organisms such as MRSA.
 

For more information:

Copeland-Halperin LR, Kaminsky AJ, Bluefeld N, Miraliakbari R. Sample procurement for cultures of infected wounds: a systematic review. J Wound Care. 2016;25(4):S4-S10. PMID: 27068349.

Halstead FD, Lee KC, Kwei J, Dretzke J, Oppenheim BA, Moiemen NS. A systematic review of quantitative burn wound microbiology in the management of burns patients. Burns. 2018;44(1):39-56. PMID: 28784345.