title: Detection of microalbuminuria: a simple test for prognosis in severe burns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of microalbuminuria monitoring in the management of patients with severe burns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients admitted to the burn unit with total body surface area burn between 20% and 50% were examined for microalbuminuria during the hospitalisation. The findings were correlated to different clinical variables usually encountered in this patient category.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microalbuminuria was found in patients with inhalation injuries (100%), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS, 88.4%), burn sepsis (95.1%) and postoperatively (94.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microalbuminuria is the only simple, non-invasive, bedside, immediate and cost-effective test to indicate for occurrence of SIRS, if the other variables were stabilised. It can be measured with every urine void or more often when a urinary catheter is inserted. This will affect our management of patients with severe burns.
authors.affiliation: Al-Hada Military Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia. sherifshbl@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sherif S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Emara
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aboulwafa
authors.forename: Awad A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alzaylai
authors.forename: Mohamed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Farag
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D015415:Biomarkers