Background: Severe burn results in a devastating and
unique derangement called burn shock. Fluid resuscitation is
the foundation of immediate burn care, and the primary goal
of resuscitation is to restore and preserve tissue perfusion. Historically,
resuscitation has been guided by a combination of
basic laboratory values, invasive maneuvers, and clinical data,
but the optimal guide to the end point of resuscitation remains
controversial.
Objective: The aim of this study is: To investigate the
diagnostic and prognostic validity of serum lactate in major
burn patients and to determine the utility of an initial and serial
serum lactate measurement during the first 36 hours for
identifying substantial risk of death and adequacy of fluid resuscitation.
Patients and Methods: 40 individuals who had significant
burns (greater than 20% of TBSA). Both operated and non-operated
patients are included. Twenty were female and twenty
were male of the forty cases. The research covered all adult
burn patients hospitalized during the first twenty-four hours
following their injury. Individuals who were released or died
48 hours after admission, or who were hospitalized after 24
hours following a thermal injury, were not included.
Results: As a prognostic tool, serial blood lactate measurements
performed better than solitary measurements. 24 hours
after admission, lactate levels that were reduced or returned to
normal were linked to a better chance of survival. Since serial
blood lactate measurements predict death in patients with
significant burns, this study validates the predictive utility of
serum lactate for mortality in these patients.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that lactate level in
major burn patients is a promising prognostic biomarker, that
could facilitate ideal management and initiate proper antimicrobial
therapy and good prognostic value as an early predictor
of mortality.