Fluid Resuscitation in Patients with Severe Burns: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objectives Fluid resuscitation is the mainstay treatment to reconstitute intravascular volume and maintain end-organ perfusion in patients with severe burns. The use of a hyper-osmotic or iso-osmotic solution in fluid resuscitation to manage myocardial depression and increased capillary permeability during burn shock has been debated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacies of hyper-osmotic and iso-osmotic solutions in restoring hemodynamic stability after burn injuries. Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials. gov registry were searched. Randomized control trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of hyper-osmotic and iso-osmotic fluid resuscitation in patients with burn injuries were selected. Eligible trials were abstracted and assessed for the risk of bias by 2 reviewers and results of hemodynamic indicators in the included trials were analyzed. Results Ten trials including 502 participants were published between 1983 and 2013. Compared with iso-osmotic group, the hyper-osmotic group exhibited a significant decrease in the fluid load (vol/%TBSA/weight) at 24 h postinjury, with a mean difference of −0.54 (95% confidence interval = −0.92 to −0.17). No differences were observed in the urine output, creatinine level, and mortality at 24 h postinjury between groups. Conclusions Hyper-osmotic fluid resuscitation appears to be an attractive choice for severe burns in terms of total body surface area or burn depth. Further investigation is recommended before conclusive recommendation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.