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.