Early burn wound changes

Abstract

(1) There is a rapid and significant increase in water content of skin after standardized immersion burns in rats. This reaches a peak of 75 per cent above unburned skin values at 30 minutes, 90 per cent of this increase having been accomplished in the first 5 minutes. (2) There is a parallel increase in solid content after burning, reaching 64 per cent above control values at 30 minutes. (3) Tissue albumin content doubles in the immediate postburn period without subsequent later increase. (4) Red cell content of burn tissue increases rapidly, reaching a maximum of 520 per cent above unburned tissue values at 10 minutes, slowly declining thereafter. (5) The increase in tissue plasma and red cell content after burning is not enough to account for more than a small fraction of the increases in either water or solids. (6) Other factors must be responsible for the change in water content. Increased tissue osmolality secondary to the thermal injury might well be the primary factor in the early development of burn wound edema. (7) The source of increased tissue solids is not apparent.