Gastric and/or duodenal ulcerations can develop in burn patients. These were described by Swan and Curling in the early nineteenth century.
Mechanism: stress ulceration; associated with increased gastric acidity
Features of Curling ulcers:
(1) major burn
(2) hemorrhagic gastritis and/or peptic ulceration
Complications:
(1) bleeding, which can be massive
(2) perforation
Risk factors:
(1) history of peptic ulcer disease
(2) coagulopathy
(3) failure to suppress gastric acid production
(4) greater total burn surface area
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Specialty: Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Gastroenterology
