An Epidemiological Survey of Fluid Resuscitation Practices for Adult Burns Patients in the United Kingdom

Fluid management is a critical component in the treatment of patients suffering with major burns. Clinicians must carefully balance judicious resuscitation with the risks of over- or under-resuscitation. We aimed to identify factors associated with survival in burns patients and determine the importance of resuscitation practices. Patients requiring admission to Burns Services in the United Kingdom between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 were included in the National Burns Audit project on fluid resuscitation practices, to evaluate factors associated with survival and Critical Care Length of Stay (CCLoS). A total of 198 patients were included in the analyses, with median age of 51 years (interquartile range, (IQR) 35-62 years), median Total Burn Surface Area (TBSA%) of 27.5% (IQR 20-40%), and median Baux score 82.5 (IQR 66-105). The following were found to be significant for survival: younger age, smaller TBSA%, lower Baux score and independence from renal replacement therapy. Neither the mechanism of burns nor the fluid resuscitation volumes appeared to influence survival. Although interventions such as tracheostomy or the number of surgical procedures did not appear to affect survival, fluid replacement of more than 6 mL/kg/%TBSA independently predicted longer CCLoS. Volume of fluid resuscitation, within the limits examined in this cohort, did not impact likelihood of survival.