Early coagulation disorders after severe burn injury: impact on mortality

Abstract

To evaluate the time course of coagulation markers in the early postburn period and clarify the role of coagulation alterations in organ failure and in mortality prognosis. This prospective study was conducted in the burn ICU of a tertiary hospital. 45 patients with severe thermal burn injury. Clinical data and coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters were measured during the first postburn week. The ICU 28-day mortality rate was 33%. Significant differences in the time course of coagulation markers were observed between survivors and nonsurvivors. SOFA score distinguished between patients with overt and nonovert disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) during the overall investigation period. Presence of overt DIC was related to mortality (OR=0.1). Antithrombin, protein S, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, and SOFA score on day 3, protein C on day 5, and thrombin/antithrombin complexes on day 7 revealed a good prognostic value for ICU mortality, according to the area under ROC curves. Severe thermal injury is associated with the early activation of coagulation cascade, presence of DIC, organ failure, and increased mortality.