BSA

[Niftymedi911]

Hey y'all I was in the chat room the other day and someone asked a question the came out of left field but I needed help answering. I tried searching for the answer but no luck

Q: What is the least % of BSA with full thickness burns that is proven to be fatal?

I originally thought roughly 40% but after reviewing our local Trauma protocols anything greater then 15% full thickness is life-threatening. (aka Trauma Alert) But that still didn't answer my question.

[Ridryder 911]

This might help: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/338/6/362

R/r 911

[chbare]

Mortality related to burns is related to two concepts. 1) The severity, size, and location of the burn. 2) presence of risk factors. (Age, infection, inhalation injury, illness, etc) A down and dirty assessment technique I learned was to take the %BSA burned (2nd-3rd degree) and add it to your patient's age. This will give you a down and dirty indication of the probability of the patient developing very serious complications as a result of the burns. This is pretty down and dirty and should always be taken into context to the risk factors.

Take care,

chbare.

[AZCEP]

Location, location, location

Any structure burned to 2-3rd degree in areas of vital function can be fatal, as chbare described. Older patients don't do as well as younger ones, but this is not directly related to location of burn so much as it is the degree and percent.

[brock8024]

I have learned the age plus percent burned (2nd and 3rd degree) equals mortality.

After working in a burn center and loving it, I have been taught that burns generally do not kill the patient but rather the inhalation injury does along with other core morbities.

I have seen patients be totally healed, all the grafts healed everything and still die from kidney failure, ARDS, or some other problem.