Usefulness of warm fluid in acute burn resuscitation: an experimental study in dogs

Hypothermia is a common complication in patients with extensive burns, receiving massive volumes of fluid for resuscitation at ambient temperature. It is therefore important to maintain the body temperature of patients with extensive burns. The present study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of warm fluid for burn injury resuscitation. Ten dogs were used in this study. Full-thickness burns, involving 40% of the body surface, were generated in the backs of the animals. In the control group (n = 5), the fluid temperature was maintained at about 23 degrees C, while in other group (n = 5), the temperature of the fluid was maintained at 39 degrees C with a warming device. Cardiac output and urinary output were measured in both groups for up to 24 hours. The cardiac output decreased in all animals during the first two hours following injury. The cardiac dynamics remained depressed in the control group. By contrast, in animals treated with warm fluid, the cardiac output returned to the baseline level within 4 hours of resuscitative measures and then decreased slightly for the subsequent 20 hours. The urinary output was better in animals treated with warm fluid, indicating the improved hemodynamic state in these animals. These results suggested that the hemodynamic state in acute burn shock was ameliorated by the use of warm fluid. Therefore, warmed fluid resuscitation might be useful to perform immediate excision and grafting for the patients with extensive burns in acute burn shock.