Tag: Burn shock

Burn injuries affecting more than 20% of the total body surface area (TBSA) trigger a massive inflammatory response, leading to significant fluid shifts and plasma loss. In these severe cases, understanding why is albumin given to burn patients is crucial for managing burn shock, a life-threatening condition caused by severe hypovolemia.

Burn shock, a critical complication of severe burns, was once a major cause of death, but modern fluid resuscitation has dramatically improved survival rates. This is precisely **why we give crystalloids in burns**, as they are the cornerstone of initial fluid replacement therapy, counteracting the profound physiological disruption caused by severe thermal injury.

First introduced in the UK in 1962, the Muir & Barclay formula was a prominent method for burn resuscitation, relying initially on freeze-dried plasma. The specific fluid components have evolved over time, shifting from plasma to human albumin solution in later adaptations, to address fluid shifts caused by severe burns.

For major burn resuscitation, the fluid of choice is almost universally Lactated Ringer's (LR) solution due to its physiological composition, which closely mimics human plasma. This established medical consensus directly answers the critical question: **Is LR or NS better for burns?**, confirming LR as the superior choice for major thermal injuries.