Question

A burn patient has what type of fluid shift in the first 48 hours?

1) Intracellular fluid shift
2) Extracellular fluid shift
3) Interstitial fluid shift
4) Plasma fluid shift

Answer 1

In the first 48 hours following a burn injury, a patient typically experiences a plasma fluid shift from the blood plasma into the interstitial or extracellular spaces.

Step-by-step explanation:

A burn patient typically experiences a plasma fluid shift in the first 48 hours. This shift is characterized by the movement of fluid from the intravascular compartment (blood plasma) into the interstitial or extracellular spaces (spaces between cells and outside of blood vessels). This occurs due to increased capillary permeability caused by the inflammatory response to the burn injury. The resulting fluid accumulation in the interstitial spaces leads to edema and can cause a significant decrease in circulating blood plasma volume, contributing to shock if not treated with adequate intravenous fluids. This fluid shift is critical since burn patients require aggressive fluid resuscitation to maintain hemodynamic stability and prevent renal and circulatory failure, which could be induced by the subsequent dehydration.