Detection of microalbuminuria: a simple test for prognosis in severe burns

To evaluate the effectiveness of microalbuminuria monitoring in the management of patients with severe burns.

Consecutive patients admitted to the burn unit with total body surface area burn between 20% and 50% were examined for microalbuminuria during the hospitalisation. The findings were correlated to different clinical variables usually encountered in this patient category.

Microalbuminuria was found in patients with inhalation injuries (100%), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS, 88.4%), burn sepsis (95.1%) and postoperatively (94.9%).

Microalbuminuria is the only simple, non-invasive, bedside, immediate and cost-effective test to indicate for occurrence of SIRS, if the other variables were stabilised. It can be measured with every urine void or more often when a urinary catheter is inserted. This will affect our management of patients with severe burns.