Assessment of Early Fluid Therapy in the Management of Burned patients with Inhalation Injury

Abstract

Over the last half century, advances in treatment of burns have changed the principal cause of death in burn patients from burn shock and wound sepsis pulmonary sepsis, of which inhalation injury has always played a key role in morbidity and mortality (Dai et; 1998). The lung injury of smoke inhalation alone or in combination with large cutaneous burns is beleived to be the leading cause of death in fire victims (Tunkey, 1978; Moylan, 1981).

The presence of inhalation injury is generally thought to increase the fluid requirements for resuscitation from burn shock after thermal injury (Agarwal et; 1982).

During the past several decades, differences of opinion have existed as to whether or not burn patients with inhalation injury should be given more or less fluid than would ordinarily be necessary for a patient with the same type of thermal 111Jury without pulmonary involvement. (Dai et., 1998).

Navar et al; (1985) noted that patients with inhalation injury had a mean fluid requirement of 5.76 mllkg/% TBSA burned. So the aim of the work is to adjust the amount of fluids required to burned patients with inhalation injury during the first twenty four hours to avoid under resuscitation or over resuscitation.