Burns

Abstract

Anesthetic management of burn-injured patients can be particularly challenging. Burn-injured patients exhibit pathophysiologic changes that can affect nearly all the organs in the body. Challenges the anesthesiologist may encounter when caring for burn patients include difficult airway management, impaired lung function, vascular access issues, hypothermia, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic alterations, and pain management. Other important considerations that could affect the condition of burn patients include blood loss, hypermetabolism, pain control, and temperature management.  Anticipating appropriate precautions can change the clinical outcome of these patients.  Optimal care requires a full understanding of the unique preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative issues of the burn-injured patient. This review contains 2 figures, 3 tables, and 77 references. Key Words: anesthetic management of acute burns, burn injury, electrical injury, fluid resuscitation, inhalation injury, Parkland formula, pain management