An overview on fluid resuscitation and resuscitation endpoints in burns: Past, present and future. Part 2 - avoiding...

While organ hypoperfusion caused by inadequate resuscitation has become rare in clinical practice due to the better understanding of burn shock pathophysiology, there is growing concern that increased morbidity and mortality related to over-resuscitation induced by late 20th century resuscitation strategies based on urine output, is occurring more frequently in burn care. In order to reduce complications related to this concept of "fluid creep", such as respiratory failure and compartment syndromes, efforts should be made to resuscitate with the least amount of fluid to provide adequate organ perfusion. In this second part of a concise review, the different targets and endpoints used to guide fluid resuscitation are discussed. Special reference is made to the role of intra-abdominal hypertension in burn care and adjunctive treatments modulating the inflammatory response. Finally, as urine output has been recognized as a poor resuscitation target, a new personalized stepwise resuscitation protocol is suggested which includes targets and endpoints that can be obtained with modern, less invasive hemodynamic monitoring devices like transpulmonary thermodilution.