Burns

For major burn injury, where admission to hospital is necessary: Wound swab (burns), Electrolytes, Creatinine, Urea, Glucose. Full blood count, Blood group, Blood group and antibody screen.

If skin grafting will be necessary: Hepatitis B serology, Hepatitis C serology, HIV serology (with consent and counselling).

Dehydration

Malnutrition

Infection

Septicaemia

Blood culture; intravenous catheter tip culture; wound swab of intravenous catheter site.

• Bacterial

Wound swab (burns) or tissue biopsy for quantitative bacterial culture and histology.

Organisms of particular pathogenicity include Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

• Fungal

Wound swab (burns), especially for Candida albicans.

• Viral

Virus detection, culture or PCR if eg, Herpes simplex virus infection is suspected.