Some patients with severe burn will develop an acute burn-induced coagulopathy (ABIC). Some cases may be associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
The onset of ABIC may be within 4 to 10 hours of the burn.
Risk factors:
(1) severe and extensive burns (> 50% of total body surface area)
(2) elevated serum lactate concentration on admission
(3) postburn admission interval
Clinical and laboratory features:
(1) bleeding and/or oozing
(2) laboratory evidence of a coagulopathy (thrombocytopenia, prolonged PT and PTT, hypofibrinogenemia, elevated fibrin split products, hyperfibrinolysis)
(3) schistocytes and microthrombi in skin and internal organs (if DIC present)
Complications:
(1) pulmonary complications
(2) incrased 30-day mortality
