A urinary catheter is mandatory for monitoring fluid resuscitation in the patient with major burns. Also, a urinary catheter should be considered in patients with perineal burns.
The urine output gives a ready index of tissue perfusion. There are volume targets which should be attained in the first 24 hours after a major burn:
Thus, the typical output per hour for an adult would be between 30 and 50 mls per hour. In smaller children with larger burns, up to 2.0 mls/kg/hour would be expected.
Persistently high urine output may be indicative of excessive fluid resuscitation. Equally, oliguria is often the sequel of inadequate fluid resuscitation.
Urine with a dark red colour may indicate haemoglobinuria or myoglobinuria.
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