Coronary Flow Velocity Reserve in Burn Injury: A Prospective Clinical Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Burn Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Burn injuries can lead to systemic inflammation and long-term health complications.
• Cardiovascular complications, including microvascular dysfunction, are increasingly recognized in burn survivors.
• Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is a potential consequence of severe illness and inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate coronary microvascular function in burn patients.
• To assess left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in burn patients.
• To investigate the relationship between cardiac dysfunction markers and burn severity/inflammation.

Main Methods:

• Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography was used to assess cardiac function in 32 adult burn patients and age/sex-matched controls.
• Examinations were conducted six months post-burn injury.
• Laboratory tests, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, were performed concurrently.

Main Results:

• Burn patients exhibited significantly higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels compared to controls.
• Significantly impaired coronary flow velocity reserve was observed in burn patients.
• Coronary flow velocity reserve was inversely correlated with inflammation markers, burn ratio, and diastolic dysfunction parameters.

Conclusions:

• Burn patients may develop subclinical coronary microvascular and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.
• Persistent inflammation, indicated by elevated CRP, is present six months post-burn.
• These cardiac dysfunctions can occur even in the absence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.