Burns and Shock Flashcards
What is distributive shock
-Damaged tissue releases permeability factors→ neutrophils release more permeability factors and cytokines
- If large body surface area affected (i.e. 15-20% TBSA burns) → more permeability factors → can diffuse into bloodstream to become systemic
Even areas unaffected by the burn injury have leaky capillaries
-Protein leaks into the interstitial space reducing colloid osmotic pressure → less reabsorption of fluid at venous end
-Volume is not lost, just redistributed within interstitium around body → causes blood volume and then BP to fall leading to shock
Blood becomes hypercoagulable as RBC count is still the same in lower blood volume
What is hypovolaemic shock
- Fluid is lost from exposed tissues and skin via evaporation
- Normally skin is a barrier to help retain fluid
- Loss of fluid can cause hypovolaemia
- Can add to problem of distributive shock in burns injuries
What is cardiogenic shock
- Massive drop in blood volume → reduced venous return → reduced preload → reduced heart contractility
- Cytokines released as part of inflammatory response can also get into the blood and become systemic → some cytokines e.g. TNF-alpha, reduce cardiac contractility
- Cardiac stress leads to cardiogenic shock
What are the examination and observations/trend results for:
- Trauma/bleeding
- Dehydration/poor intake
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Sepsis
EXAMINATION | OBS & TRENDS |
Signs of fluid loss
SBP < 100mmHg
Cool peripheries
HR > 90bpm
CRT > 2 secs
RR >20 breaths per min
45 degree leg raise +ve
NEWS = 5 or more
What are examples of volume loss and volume shift?
- Volume loss
- trauma/bleeding
- dehydration/poor intake
- vomiting and diarrhoea
- Volume shift
- sepsis
- anaphylaxis
- neurogenic
What is the Parkland Formula
2 - 4 ml x actual body weight (kg) x %TBSA burned
Used to work out fluid requirements in burn patients.
What type of burn is the Parkland Formula not used for
Doesn’t include epidermal (first degree) burns
How is the fluid given to the patient after calculated with the Parkland Formula
- From the time the burn was sustained, give 1/2 of fluid requirement in first 8 hours
- Give other 1/2 in subsequent 16 hours
- This is fluid given in addition to maintenance fluid
Why is it important to not give too much fluid
- Leaky capillaries means lots of fluid can still get into interstitium leading to excess oedema in tissues
- Increased risk of compartment syndrome → where oedema compresses vessels in muscle compartments, leading to ischaemia within that compartment
- Ultimately it is important to always use end points for patients to tailor their fluid treatment.
What is the rule of nines for TBSA for burns
Pretty much everything is 9%
Each leg is 18%, with front being 9% and back being 9%
Each arm is 9%, with front being 4.5% and back being 4.5%
Front of abdomen is 9%
Front of chest is 9%
Upper back is 9%
Lower back is 9%
Genitals is 1%
How do the resus fluids differ from each other
Different types of fluid distribute differently across intravascular, interstitial and intracellular fluid.
How does Dextrose distribute across the body’s tissues?
Assuming the glucose transporter is passive, glucose is distributed across all fluid compartments until equilibrium is reached
- It aligns with the 1/3 and 2/3 split of fluid across interstitial fluid and intravascular fluid
- This means dextrose is not very good for dehydration as it doesn’t really bulk up blood volume
How does Saline distributed across the body’s tissues?
- Cells have lots of sodium transporters to prevent cell swelling and lysis and cellular dysfunction
- Cells actively pump sodium out if there’s excess
- This means very little of sodium gets into cells and sodium is pumped out with fluid following via osmosis.
- Saline gets split with 3/4 in intersitital fluid and 1/4 intravascularly.
How is Ringers Lactate distributed across body tissues
Increase in intracellular volume
- as it contains Ca and K
so osmolarity is lower than in cells
so a bit of fluid will enter cells
Lactate helps to correct acidosis as it can be used to make bicarbonate
How does saline and Hartmann’s compare in terms of
- Intracellular volume
- Extracellular volume
- Acidosis
- Coagulation
- Fluid balance
Intracellular:
Saline- no increase
Hartmann’s- mild increase
Extracellular- both increase
Saline- Hyperchloremic Metabolic Acidosis
Hartmann’s- lactate corrects acidosis
Saline- associated with HYPOcoagulopathy
Hartmann’s- clumping of RBC if infused alongside blood products
Saline- Unbalanced fluid (high CL-)
Hartmann’s- Balanced fluid (Ca, Cl, K)
What does an epidermal burn mean
Epidermal → only involves the epidermis
What is a superficial partial burn and does this require surgery
Superficial partial thickness burn:
Upper dermis damaged but the vascular plexus and most adnexal structures remain intact
- does not often require surgery
What is a deep partial burn and does this require surgery
Deep partial thickness burn:
Extends into deep dermis affecting vascular plexus but not all of dermis is destroyed. Only deep adnexal structures are intact
- often require surgery to replace skin or remove dead skin
What is a Full thickness burn and does this require surgery
Full thickness burn → has extended through entire thickness of dermis and no dermal tissue remains
What is a Fourth degree burn and does this require
Fourth degree → extends to bone, skin is waxy and completely damaged, loses sensation