Burn Resuscitation in the Austere Environment.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Global Health
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Intravenous (IV) cannulation and sterile IV salt solutions are often unavailable in resource-limited settings (RLSs).
• Effective fluid resuscitation is critical for managing burn injuries, especially in austere environments.
• Limited data exists on the efficacy of oral solutions for significant burn TBSA in RLSs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present recipes for oral resuscitation solutions (ORSs) for burn management in RLSs.
• To describe the potential of ORSs for fluid resuscitation in cases where IV therapy is not feasible.
• To highlight the need for more research on ORS effectiveness for varying burn severities in RLSs.

Main Methods:

• The article provides recipes for preparing ORSs using readily available ingredients.
• It discusses the application of these ORSs for fluid resuscitation following burn injuries.
• The authors review existing global experience and case reports, though limited.

Main Results:

• Oral resuscitation solutions with salt supplementation show promise for resuscitating burns up to 20% TBSA.
• Burns up to 40% TBSA may potentially be managed with ORSs in RLSs.
• Published data on the successful use of WHO ORSs for large burns in RLSs is scarce.

Conclusions:

• ORSs offer a viable alternative for fluid resuscitation in RLSs when IV access is not possible.
• Further research is needed to establish the precise efficacy and limitations of ORSs for different burn severities.
• Developing and validating ORS protocols is crucial for improving burn care outcomes globally.