Effects of body surface thermal injury on apparent renal and cutaneous blood flow in goats.
The etiology of postburn circulatory impairment ("burn shock") is multifactorial and incompletely understood. However, systemic vasoconstriction is a consistent observation during this period and occurs in spite of aggressive fluid resuscitation therapy. We studied the degree and time course of systemic vasoconstriction in goats for 24 hours following burns of two sizes (20% and 35% TBSA), in which fluid resuscitation was performed according to a common clinical crystalloid regimen. Cardiac index and urine output (reflecting renal perfusion) fell dramatically at two hours after burn, but returned slowly to preburn levels by 24 hours. The degree of fall and rate of recovery were dependent on burn size. Dermal perfusion was assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry in both burned and unburned skin. Dermal perfusion was negligible in burned skin. Unburned skin blood flow fell with increasing burn size, progressively recovered to preburn levels after the small burn, but at 24 hours remained significantly depressed after the larger burn. The stimulus for this persistent skin vasoconstriction is unclear.
Sharar
S R
SR
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.
Heimbach
D M
DM
Green
M
M
Winn
R K
RK
Hildebrandt
J
J
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006041:Goats / Q000502:physiology*; D007834:Lasers; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012079:Renal Circulation; D012774:Shock, Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D013997:Time Factors; D014661:Vasoconstriction