An adult patient who is 70 kg has a full-thickness burn over 30% of their body surface area. What is the anticipated fluid replacement for a patient in the first 8 hours based on the Parkland formula?

The Parkland formula is a widely recognized method used to calculate fluid resuscitation requirements for burn patients in the initial phase following injury. According to this formula, the total amount of fluid needed in the first 24 hours is calculated as 4 mL of isotonic crystalloid (such as lactated Ringer’s solution) for each kilogram of body weight per percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) burned.

In this case, the patient weighs 70 kg and has a full-thickness burn covering 30% of their total body surface area. Applying the Parkland formula:

Total fluid requirement for 24 hours = 4 mL × body weight (kg) × TBSA (% burned)

Calculating this gives us:
4 mL × 70 kg × 30% = 8400 mL for 24 hours.

Given that the fluid replacement is typically administered over the first 24 hours, we divide this total by 2 to determine the amount to be given in the first 8 hours.

8400 mL / 2 = 4200 mL.

This calculation shows that the anticipated fluid replacement for the patient in the first 8 hours is indeed 4200 mL, which aligns