Serum Phosphate Level in Burn Patients Publisher Pubmed



Loghmani S¹ ; Maracy MR^{1, 2} ; Kheirmand R¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Burns Published:2010

Abstract

Introduction: Despite plasma phosphate imbalance being rare, it is a relatively common finding in certain subsets of burn patients. It may occur due to the burn itself or as a result of the treatment. Severe hypophosphataemia (<1.0 mg dl-1) is associated with a significant morbidity and a fourfold increase in mortality. In this study, the relation between serum phosphate level and the total body surface area (TBSA) of the burn was compared. Methods: According to the percentage of TBSA of the burn, the patients (n = 155) were divided into three groups: group A with 20-29% TBSA burns, group B with 30-39% and group C with more than 40% TBSA burns (62, 48 and 45 patients, respectively). Analysis of variance (ANOVA)-repeated measure was used to detect any statistically significant difference in the three post-burn time-points of 3rd, 6th and 9th days and the mean score of the serum phosphate level between the three groups. Results: The incidence of hypophosphataemia at 9th post-burn day in the three groups was 6.1%, 32.4% and 73.5%, respectively. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) between mean serum phosphate levels of groups A and C, B and C and A and B as well. We found significant differences between the three post-burn follow-up time stages. Discussion: We have shown that hypophosphataemia, defined as mean serum phosphate levels below 3.0 mg dl-1, was very common following burn, based on 75.6% of patients with more than 40% burn at the 3rd post-burn day. As the percentage of TBSA of burn increases, the incidence of hypophosphataemia significantly increases. We suggest that phosphate level be routinely measured after a major burn, especially in patients with a complicated course, so that appropriate replacement therapy may be started in a timely manner. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.