Jaundice Occurrence After a Large Area Burn Is a Possible Indication to Delay Surgery

Abstract

The mortality of burn patients with sepsis is higher than that of trauma patients. Sepsis causes liver dysfunction, which is an independent risk factor for multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and sepsis-induced death. We present the case of a 57-year-old female with burns covering 59% of her total body surface area and the presence of full-thickness burns. She was transferred to our burn center due to the appearance of fever and skin jaundice during the previous treatment. Based on the clinical manifestation, two main strategies were performed: debridement to remove necrotic wound tissue and treatment with a combination of drugs for liver protection. The patient's condition appeared stable for a period thereafter. Skin grafting to cover the wound was unexpectedly followed by a rapid deterioration in clinical manifestation. We can learn from this failed case that jaundice might be a sign of a systemic crisis. In such cases, surgery could aggravate the severity of the condition and cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Therefore, jaundice may be a sign that skin surgery is not the best option. The optimal treatment should enhance liver protection or provide artificial liver support systems to facilitate the recovery of the liver from severe sepsis. This case suggests that skin graft surgery should not be conducted until jaundice is resolved in burn patients.