Assessment of burn size in obese adults; a literature review

AbstractPurpose: Obesity causes changes in the total body surface area as well as the distribution of skin surfaces. In burn management, three methods are commonly used to determine the surface area burned: the patient’s palm, the rule of nines, and the Lund-Browder chart. These methods rely on the distribution of skin surface, although none of these methods consider differences in body mass. This study investigates the relationship between body surfaces and body mass in the assessment of burn size to determine the validity of the conventional methods when applied to obese individuals.Methods: The current literature was reviewed using relevant electronic databases. The initial search yielded 247 results. Relevant articles were then reviewed. A total of seven publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria.Results: The palmar surface area ranged between 0.59%–1.22%, depending on BMI, gender, and ethnicity, compared to 1% according to conventional methods. The palmar surface area of obese individuals approxim...