Acute Fluid Management of Large Burns: Pathophysiology, Monitoring, and Resuscitation

Abstract

This article reviews the pathophysiology of large burn injury and the extreme fluid shifts that occur in the hours and days after this event. The authors focus on acute fluid management, monitoring of hemodynamic status, and end points of resuscitation. Understanding the need and causes for fluid resuscitation after burn injury helps the clinician develop an effective plan to balance the competing goals of normalized tissue perfusion and limited tissue edema. Thoughtful, individualized treatment is the best answer and the most effective compromise.

Keywords: Burn shock and burn edema; Colloid; Crystalloid; Fluid resuscitation.