A single photobiomodulation session reduced bacterial load in acute burn wounds by 64%, according to a clinical study published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

Burn wound infection remains one of the most persistent complications in outpatient burn care, contributing to delayed healing, repeat hospital visits and rising healthcare costs. In a prospective clinical study, researchers reported that a brief, painless laser treatment delivered during routine dressing appointments significantly reduced microbial burden without extending clinic time or altering established care protocols.

The study, titled Photobiomodulation Reduces the Microbial Load of Acute Burn Wounds in the Burns Outpatient Department, was selected as the February 2026 Editor’s Choice in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Led by Aude Perusseau-Lambert, a resident in burns, plastic and reconstructive surgery, the research found that a single photobiomodulation session reduced bacterial load by 64%, with 91% of wounds demonstrating stable or improved microbial profiles following treatment.

“Burn wounds are prone to infection, delayed healing, and scarring,” Perusseau-Lambert said: “Our study shows that photobiomodulation can safely reduce the bacterial load while stimulating and enhancing the body’s own repair mechanisms: offering a powerful, non-antibiotic advance in burn care.”

The intervention required no additional clinic time and did not change existing dressing protocols. By combining antimicrobial effects with stimulation of tissue repair pathways, the approach introduces a non-antibiotic strategy at a time when antimicrobial resistance remains a growing concern in wound management and broader healthcare settings.

Unlike systemic antibiotic approaches, photobiomodulation targets tissue locally using light-based therapy to influence cellular activity. In this study, the treatment was delivered seamlessly within standard outpatient workflows, suggesting potential scalability if validated in larger controlled trials.

The authors note that the findings provide a foundation for further research to assess impact on healing speed, infection rates, scarring outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Larger studies will be needed to determine whether the observed microbial reductions translate into improved long-term clinical outcomes.

The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery is the largest multidisciplinary professional organisation focused on biomedical laser applications in healthcare. Its journal, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, publishes clinical and translational research across surgical and therapeutic disciplines.

As healthcare systems seek practical approaches to reduce antibiotic use and manage complex wounds more effectively, light-based therapies such as photobiomodulation may offer an adjunctive option for burn centres and outpatient departments, pending further clinical validation.