Thermal burns - by Dr.Chew

A post on Thermal Burns , by Dr.Chew...Managed to revise how to estimate TBSA (Total Body Surface Area ) , on adults and children. Below are a few Q&A from that post which i would like to share with you :

Is there any other formula to use to calculate fluid requirement besides Parkland formula?
You can use the Galveston formula, which is based on BSA rather than body weight. Although many pediatric burn centers believe it is more accurate than the Parkland formula, it is more time-consuming to calculate.
URL: http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC72.HTM

How about the use of Silver Sulphadiazine (SSD)?
When I was a house officer (HO), SSD was recommended for all types of burns especially for first aid measure in A&E and for daily dressing, as long as it was a burn case, the HO would order for SSD dressing daily and the staff nurse would apply the SSD every time a burn dressing was changed.

But increasingly there are published papers to say comparing SSD with other methods like using hydrocolloid dressing (Duoderm), and even honey and found that SSD has not been found to be superior; in fact, worse in terms of healing rate, repigmentation, etc. Click here to read a good review article comparing SSD with other agents.

Evidence exists that the use of SSD may place patients at increased a risk of
1. developing neutropenia
2. erythema multiforme
3. crystalluria, and
4. methemoglobinemia


For the complete post on Thermal Burns, please visit the following link.