Resuscitation tables: a useful tool in calculating pre-burns unit fluid requirements

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Trauma Surgery
• Critical Care

Background:

• Significant variability exists in initial burn management standards, impacting patient outcomes.
• Accurate burn surface area assessment and fluid resuscitation are critical for major burn survival.
• The Parkland formula is the international standard for fluid resuscitation in burn patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Parkland fluid resuscitation tables in improving initial fluid requirement calculations.
• To compare the accuracy and efficiency of resuscitation tables versus the conventional Parkland formula.

Main Methods:

• Burn size was determined using a Lund and Browder chart for adult and pediatric cases.
• Fluid requirements were calculated using both the conventional Parkland formula and resuscitation tables.
• A sample of 50 participants, including plastic surgery trainees, anaesthetists, and burn nurse specialists, was involved.

Main Results:

• Participants found resuscitation tables quicker and easier to use than the Parkland formula.
• The Parkland formula yielded correct fluid resuscitation requirements in only 55% of cases.
• Resuscitation tables improved the accuracy of fluid requirement calculations to 75%.

Conclusions:

• Parkland fluid resuscitation tables enhance the accuracy of fluid requirement calculations.
• The use of resuscitation tables simplifies and speeds up the initial management of major burns.