Disseminated intravascular multiple systems activation (DIMSA) following thermal injury

Seventy-seven major thermal injury victims were studied with a number of hematologic and immunologic tests initially and sequentially during the first postburn month. The patients were grouped by initial prognostic index as well as by ultimate survival. Pairs were grouped by initial prognostic index as well as by ultimate survival. Pairs of test data from subjects studied at successive time intervals were compared with prognostic index and ultimate survival. Statistically significant changes in coagulation, fibrinolytic, complement, and kinin tests all occurred within these groups. These findings strongly suggest that intravascular contamination occurs following thermal injury in proportion to the extent of the burn, because of the occurrence and persistence of statistically significant multiple system changes. Regrouping all of the blood data according to ultimate death or survival reinforced the concept of intravascular contamination and provided the basis by which one can compute laboratory prognostic indices. The combination of plasminogen, C'3 complement, C'H50, one-minute kinin, and TEG index discriminated between death and survival with 91% accuracy by the end of the first postburn week. These data offer the potential for select blood measurements in refining current prognostic indicators. This may provide an objective data base for the analysis of new treatment programs in thermal injury victims.