Oral rehydration solutions for burn management in the field and underdeveloped regions: a review

Burn injuries are the fourth most common type of trauma worldwide, and the appropriate care of burn injuries in resource-limited settings such as the battlefield, underdeveloped nations, or in mass casualtiesremains a significant challenge. Rehydration constitutes the primary treatment of the systemic effects of burns and is a major factor in patient recovery. The standard of care for the replenishment of fluid and electrolyte losses in burn injury remains intravenous fluid therapy, but oral rehydration solution therapy (ORST) demonstrates beneficial utility in saving the lives of burn patients when they are applied in the acute phase of burn injuries, especially when intravenous rehydration is unavailable or inaccessible. Advantages of ORST as compared to intravenous therapy include availability, ease of administration in the field, low risk of infections and complications, low cost, and no requirement for accessory or specialized equipment. These benefits position ORST very attractively for the provision of interim first aid until definitive medical assistance arrives. Extensive and comprehensive investigation may be warranted to elucidate, account for and quantify individual burn patient biochemical variables toward the potential realization of such an "omniuse" oral rehydration solution for the benefit of burn injuries worldwide.