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Burn Fluid Resuscitation (Parkland / ABLS)

Estimated crystalloid volume for the first 24 hours after a major burn.

For healthcare professionalsEmergency & acute carev1.0.1

For healthcare professionals / clinical use. Not a self-diagnosis tool.

Your measurements

% TBSA

Calculated on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.

Your result will appear here

Enter your measurements, then press Calculate.

Methodology

Parkland (Baxter 1968); ABA guideline 2024

Volume = mL × kg × %TBSA; half in the first 8 hours from the time of burn, half over the next 16

The 2024 ABA guideline suggests starting at 2 mL/kg/%TBSA for adult burns of 20% or more and titrating to urine output (0.5 mL/kg/h); Parkland's 4 mL is shown for reference.

Who it is for
Adults with burns of 20% total body surface area or more.
Version
1.0.1

How this calculator works

Where the formula comes from

  • Baxter and Shires' 1968 work helped establish the Parkland approach to crystalloid resuscitation after major burns, drawing on studies of post-burn fluid shifts.[1]
  • The traditional Parkland formula estimates 4 mL of crystalloid per kg of body weight per % of burned body surface during the first 24 hours, with half in the first 8 hours after the burn.[1][2]

The inputs

  • The inputs are body weight in kilograms and burn size as a percentage of total body surface area, counting partial- and full-thickness burns only.[1][3]
  • The first 8 hours are counted from the time of the burn, not from arrival at hospital.[1][3]

Versions and alternatives

  • The American Burn Association 2024 guideline suggests starting adult resuscitation at 2 mL per kg per % burn for burns of 20% or more, rather than the traditional 4 mL, to reduce total fluid.[3]

Where accuracy falls (published evidence)

  • The formula gives only a starting estimate; many patients receive more fluid than it predicts, a pattern described as 'fluid creep'.[4][5]
  • In a retrospective study of 31 adults with burns of 15% or more, the actual 24-hour volume exceeded the Parkland estimate in 84%.[5]
  • Using actual body weight in people with obesity can lead to higher calculated volumes.[6]
  • In children, weight-based predictions such as Parkland can differ from body-surface-area-based estimates.[7]

What guidelines say

  • The 2024 American Burn Association guideline recommends titrating fluid to urine output, with a target of about 0.5 mL/kg/hour in adults, rather than treating the calculated volume as fixed.[3]

Sources

  1. Baxter CR, Shires T. Physiological response to crystalloid resuscitation of severe burns. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1968;150(3):874–894. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1968.tb14738.x
  2. Boehm D, Menke H. A history of fluid management—from 'one size fits all' to an individualized fluid therapy in burn resuscitation. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(2):187. doi:10.3390/medicina57020187
  3. Cartotto R, Johnson LS, Savetamal A, et al. American Burn Association clinical practice guidelines on burn shock resuscitation. J Burn Care Res. 2024;45(3):565–589. doi:10.1093/jbcr/irad125
  4. Saffle JI. The phenomenon of 'fluid creep' in acute burn resuscitation. J Burn Care Res. 2007;28(3):382–395. doi:10.1097/BCR.0B013E318053D3A1
  5. Cartotto RC, Innes M, Musgrave MA, Gomez M, Cooper AB. How well does the Parkland formula estimate actual fluid resuscitation volumes? J Burn Care Rehabil. 2002;23(4):258–265. doi:10.1097/00004630-200207000-00006
  6. Effects of obesity on burn resuscitation. Burns. 2018;44(8):1947–1953. doi:10.1016/j.burns.2018.06.002
  7. Weight-based vs body surface area-based fluid resuscitation predictions in pediatric burn patients. Burns. 2023;49(1):120–128. doi:10.1016/j.burns.2022.03.007

Compiled from the published sources above. Every statement was agreed independently by three AI research tools (Claude, ChatGPT, DeepSeek) and its source verified in PubMed or Crossref by the Hakeemly editorial team. Not reviewed by a doctor unless stated. Agreed on

Worked example: how to calculate parkland formula

Inputs

Weight
70 kg
Burned area (partial and full thickness only)
30 % TBSA

Result

Parkland total (4 mL/kg/%TBSA)
8,400 mL / 24 h
Parkland — first 8 hours
4,200 mL
ABLS starting total (2 mL/kg/%TBSA)
4,200 mL / 24 h
ABLS — first 8 hours
2,100 mL

Calculation:

4 × 70 × 30 = 8400

An illustration with sample values, worked out with the same method the tool above uses.

Limitations

  • Starting estimate only; titrate to urine output and haemodynamics. Electrical burns and children use different rates.

References

  1. Baxter CR, Shires T. Physiological response to crystalloid resuscitation of severe burns. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1968;150(3):874–894. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1968.tb14738.x
  2. Cartotto R, Johnson LS, Savetamal A, et al. American Burn Association clinical practice guidelines on burn shock resuscitation. J Burn Care Res. 2024;45(3):565–589. doi:10.1093/jbcr/irad125