Michael James Burns

Picture of Michael James Burns
Clinical Professor, Emergency Medicine
School of Medicine
Clinical Professor, Internal Medicine & Infectious Diseases
School of Medicine
M.D., University of California, Irvine, 1975
Phone: (714) 456-5239
Fax: (714) 456-3740
Email: mburns@uci.edu
University of California, Irvine
Department of Emergency Medicine
UC Irvine Health
333 The City Boulevard West, Suite 640, Route 128-01
Mail Code: 4064
Orange, CA 928683201
Research Interests
Geriatric emergencies; infectious disease emergencies; antimicrobial agents; tropical infections; geriatric pharmacology
Academic Distinctions
Certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and by the American Board of Internal Medicine and in Subspecialties of Infectious Diseases and Geriatric Medicine

1971 Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

1974 Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society

1990 Dean’s Award for outstanding service to the UCI Program in Geriatric Medicine

1994 Best Poster Award, Annual Scientific Assembly of the California Chapter-American College of Emergency Physicians

2000 Faculty of the Year Award from the graduating residents, UCI Emergency Medicine residency

2001 Faculty of the Year Award from the graduating residents, UCI Emergency Medicine residency

2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Orange County Medical Association/Orange Coast Magazine, Physicians of Excellence Award for being one of Orange County's top doctors

2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Southern California Super Doctors---Emergency Medicine, Los Angeles Magazine

2012, 2013 U.S. News & World Report/Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., Top Doctors in the U.S., --Infectious Diseases
Research Abstract
Dr. Burns, who is board certified in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Geriatric Medicine, has performed investigations on the usefulness of baseline tests upon hospital admission, hepatitis B immunity in paramedics, patient compliance with follow-up instructions, amebic liver abscess, elder abuse, and the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and HIV in trauma patients. He has also been involved in many trials of investigational antimicrobial agents, especially for patients with complicated intraabdominal infections and complicated skin and soft tissue infections. He has also investigated drug interactions and toxicity in the geriatric emergency patient, and the role of the emergency department as the point of access to the health care system for the minority elderly. Other recent interests and projects involve the study of changing antimicrobial susceptibilities for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections; novel antimicrobial resistance genes in Gram-negative bacteria; human monoclonal antibodies for treatment of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease; and new intravenous antiviral agents for severe influenza virus infections. He performed a study of the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease in Orange County, California, for the large West Nile virus epidemic that occurred in Orange County in 2014.

Published Abstracts and Poster Presentations:

1. Duncan M, Geiger D, Pezzlo M. Burns MJ, de la Maza L: Clinical evaluation of two solid-phase enzyme immunoassays for the direct detection of Streptococcus pyogenes. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Microbiology, May 1988.

2. Burns MJ, Pezzlo M, Iverson D: Reevaluation of throat culture for diagnosis of Strep pharyngitis: Is the rapid Group A antigen test the new gold standard? Annals of Emergency Medicine. 1992;21:609. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Toronto, Canada, May 1992.

3. Burns MJ, Pezzlo M: Non-Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis in the emergency department: Implications for rapid strep screening. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 1992; 21:609. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency medicine, Toronto, Canada, May 1992.

4. Burns MJ, Ashby H: Duration of immunity to hepatitis B after immunization in EMS personnel. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 1993;22:923. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, San Francisco, CA, May 1993.

5. Milligan M, Ford R, Burns M: Structuring and organizing an adult abuse task force. Presented at the national elder abuse conference (Silent Suffering--Elder Abuse in America), Long Beach, CA; Feb 4, 1994.

6. Myers J, Burns MJ, Paddock C, Zarate I, Chan E: Factors affecting compliance with outpatient diagnostic procedures following emergency department evaluation. Academic Emergency Medicine. 1994;1:A36-37. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Washington, D.C., May 1994, and at the Annual Scientific Assembly of the California Chapter-American College of Emergency Physicians, Lake Tahoe, CA, June 1994 (Best Poster Award).

7. Burns MJ, Miller E, Gordon K: Amebic liver abscess-an emergency medicine perspective. Presented at the Annual Scientific Assembly of the California Chapter-American College of Emergency Physicians, Lake Tahoe, CA, June 1994.

8. Burns MJ, Starr D: Emergency department transfer of managed care patients results in patient dissatisfaction without identifiable negative clinical outcomes. Presented at the Annual Scientific Assembly of the California Chapter-American College of Emergency Physicians, Rancho Mirage, CA, May 1997.

9. Burns MJ, Chhiv N: Susceptibilities of emergency department isolates of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) to non-beta-lactam antimicrobial agents. Presented at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, May 16, 2007, Chicago, IL; and at the Western Regional Research Forum of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, April 2007, Portland OR.

10. Burns MJ: “Vancomycin MIC creep in ED isolates of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) and its implications for empiric treatment of serious MRSA infections in the ED,” Presented at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, June 1, 2008, Washington, D.C.; and at the 11th Annual Western Regional Research Forum of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, March 29, 2008, Costa Mesa, CA.

11. Lieser A, Anderson C, Burns M, Vaca F: The burden of alcohol-related injury and illness in California emergency departments. Presented at the Research Forum of the Annual Scientific Assembly of the American College of Emergence Physicians, September 28, 2010, Las Vegas, NV.

12. Sachdev A, Hsieh L, Peterson E, Hirota D, Chahal P, Burns M, Thrupp L: Emerging fluoroquinolone resistance in Enterobacteriaceae: nalidixic acid as a marker for reduced fluoroquinolone susceptibility. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, October 22, 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia.

13. Burns M, Sylwanowicz L, Costantini S, Zahn M, Saadat S, Placone T, Shearer E: In an epidemic of West Nile virus infection, higher risk of death and disability in patients with West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease can be determined at emergency department presentation. Oral presentation at the ACEP Research Forum (American College of Emergency Physicians Annual Scientific Meeting), San Diego, CA; October 1, 2018.
Abstract published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, October 2018, vol. 72, issue 4, Supplement; Abstract 149, page S63.
Publications
Burns MJ. Algaze-Gonzalez I: Insect, tick and mite bites and infestations. Wolfson AB (Editor-in Chief), Harwood-Nuss' Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. Seventh Edition. Philadelphia; Wolters Kluwer; 2020
Burns MJ, Price JB, Lekawa ME: Delirium Tremens (DT's). Medscape Reference (online). From WebMD Professional. Revised and updated June 14, 2020. Available at
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/166032-overview
Koenig KL, Farah J, McDonald EC, Thihalolipavan S, Burns MJ: Pertussis--The identify, isolate, inform tool applied to a re-emerging respiratory illness. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine 2019 (March issue); 20:191. Published online ahead of print, Dec 5, 2018.
Burns, MJ, Price JB, Lekawa ME. Delirium Tremens (DTs). Medscape Reference (online). From WebMD Professional. Revised and updated April 27, 2018. Available at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/166032-overview#a5
Burns M: The Immunocompromised Patient. Walls RM (Editor-in-Chief), Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M (Editors), Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Ninth Edition. Philadelphia; Elsevier; 2018; pp 2349-2362.
Koenig KL, Shastry S, Burns MJ: Hepatitis A: Essential knowledge and a novel identify-isolate-inform tool frontline heath care providers. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2017; volume 18; published online ahead of print October 2017.
Said S, Yanuck J, Burns MJ: Images in Emergency Medicine. A case of erythema nodosum with coccidioidomycosis. Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine 2017 (August);1:251-252.
Kesler KA, Langdorf MI, Burns MJ: Opioid dependent malingerer with self-induced sepsis. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine 2016 (November);17:798-800
Ghadishah D, Burns M: Pediatric Cysticercosis. Medscape Reference (online), from WebMD Professional. Revised and updated October 17, 2016. Available at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/997096-overview
Koenig KL, Shastry S, Mzahim B, Almadhyan A, Burns MJ: Mumps virus: modification of the identify-isolate-inform tool for frontline healthcare providers. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2016 (September);17:490-496
Koenig KL, Almadhyan A, Burns MJ: Identify-Isolate-Inform: A tool for initial detection and management of Zika virus patients in the emergency department. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine 2016 (May);17:238-244.
Koenig KL, Wajdan A, Burns MJ: Identify-Isolate-Inform: a tool for initial detection and management of measles patients in the emergency department. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine 2015;16:212-219.
Koenig KL, Majestic C, Burns MJ: Ebola virus disease: essential public health principles for clinicians. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine 2014;15:728-731.
Burns MJ: Insect, tick, and mite bites and infestations. Wolfson AB (Editor-in-Chief), Harwood-Nuss’ Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. Sixth Edition. Philadelphia; Wolters Kluwer; 2015; pp.1555-1561.
Burns M: The Immunocompromised Patient. Marx JA (Editor-in-Chief), Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Eighth Edition. Philadelphia; Saunders Elsevier; 2014; pp.2356-2367.
Burns MJ, Lekawa ME, Price JB. Delirium Tremens (DTs). Medscape Reference. Updated annually, last updated April 14, 2015. Available at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/166032-overview
Burns M: The immunocompromised patient. Marx JA (Editor-in-Chief), Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Seventh Edition. Philadelphia; Mosby Elsevier; 2010; pp. 2353-2364.
Burns M: Insect, tick, mite bites and infestations. Wolfson AB (Editor-in-Chief), Harwood-Nuss’ Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. Fifth Edition. Philadelphia; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2010; pp. 1643-1648.
Burns MJ, Kapadia NN, Silman EF: Sporotrichosis. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine 2009 (Aug);10:204.
Boysen M, Langdorf MI, Burns MJ, Rudkin SE, Henderson J: Positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures following normal cell counts are contaminants. Journal of Emergency Medicine 2009;37:251 (Epub 2008 Jul 2).
Langdorf MI, Bums MJ, Rudkin S, Bradley D, Bridgeman TV, Gain M, Welbourne S: Emergency department clinical algorithms: one academic medical center’s road to clinical excellence through collaborative practice,” Journal of Integrative Care Pathways 2007;11:100.
Burns M, Price J, Lekawa M: Delerium Tremens. On-Line Textbook of Medicine and Surgery. eMedicine Inc.; 1999, revised 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009.
Ghadishah D, Burns M: Cysticercosis. On-Line Textbook of Pediatrics. eMedicine Inc.; 2002. Revised 2006.
Burns M, Langdorf M: The Immunocompromised Patient. Marx JA (Editor-in-Chief), Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Sixth Edition. Philadelphia; Mosby Elsevier; 2006; pp. 2831-2846.
Burns M: Insect, tick, mite bites and infestations. Wolfson AB (Editor-in-Chief), Harwood-Nuss’ Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. Fourth Edition. Philadelphia; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005; pp. 1739-1744.
Langdorf M, Burns M: The Immunocompromised Patient. Marx JA (Editor-in-Chief), Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Fifth Edition. St. Louis; Mosby; 2002; pp. 2491-2503.
Langdorf M, Burns M: Approach to the Immunocompromised Patient in the Emergency Department. Rosen P (Editor), Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Fourth Edition. St. Louis; Mosby; 1998; pp. 168-188.
Burns M (Contributing editor and author of antimicrobial treatment guidelines section). In Ritter M. Emergency Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines. California Chapter-American College of Emergency Physicians, 1997.
Ritter MS; Mroch H; Burns MJ. Soaring suppurative sea shells from the sea shore: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae septic arthritis after a marine sea shell injury. Pediatric Emergency Care, 1993 Oct, 9(5):289-91.
Hubbell FA; Ziemba SE; Fine MJ; Burns MJ. The value of baseline chest radiograph reports in the care of elderly patients in an emergency department. American Journal of the Medical Sciences 1993;305:145-9.
Rhee KJ; Albertson TE; Kizer KW; Burns MJ; Hughes MJ; Ascher MS. A comparison of HIV-1, HBV, and HTLV-I/II seroprevalence rates of injured patients admitted through California emergency departments. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 1992 Apr, 21(4):397-401.
Ziemba SE, Hubbell FA, Fine MJ, Burns MJ: Resting electrocardiograms as baseline tests: impact on the management of elderly patients. American Journal of Medicine. 1991;91:576.
Pezzlo M, Burns M, Vaulter P: Wound infection with Vibrio alginolyticus. American Journal of Clinical Pathology. 1979;71:476.
Professional Societies
Fellow, American College of Physicians
Fellow, American College of Emergency Physicians
Fellow, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of America
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
American Geriatrics Society
Other Experience
Tropical Medicine
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom 1979—1979
Graduate Programs
Infectious Disease (IM)
Internal Medicine
Last updated
02/26/2021