Dosing
Parkland formula calculator
Weight and burn size in, three numbers out — the 24-hour total, the first-8-hour half, and the rate to set on the pump right now.
An 80 kg adult with 30% total body surface area burns, assessed shortly after injury.
9,600 mL over 24 h — 4,800 mL in the first 8 h, starting at 600 mL/h
Half the volume runs in the first 8 hours from the time of burn, half over the next 16 — and from there the urine output, not the formula, drives the rate.
Who this is for
For emergency, trauma, and burns clinicians starting fluid resuscitation in significant burns. The Parkland (Baxter) formula — 4 mL of Ringer's lactate per kg per %TBSA over 24 hours — is simple to state and easy to fumble under pressure; the tool returns the total, the front-loaded first-8-hour volume, and the starting hourly rate, with the time-of-burn caveat stated.
How it works
What it calculates
The Parkland (Baxter) estimate for burn resuscitation: 4 mL of Ringer's lactate per kilogram per percent total body surface area burned in the first 24 hours — half in the first 8 hours from the time of burn.
Using it safely
The clock starts at the burn, not at presentation — fluid already 'owed' is given in the remaining window. Count partial- and full-thickness burns only, and titrate to urine output (~0.5 mL/kg/h in adults) rather than the formula.
Worth remembering
Over-resuscitation ('fluid creep') causes real harm — compartment syndromes, pulmonary oedema. The formula is the starting estimate; the patient's response is the prescription. Reference: Baxter & Shires 1974.
Built on published evidence
- Baxter & Shires 1974
Codification last reviewed 2026-08-28, and checked against published reference values in automated tests on every release — see the full evidence ledger.
Questions clinicians ask
When does the 8-hour clock start?
At the time of the burn, not at presentation. Fluid already 'owed' from a delayed arrival is given over the remaining window, so a patient presenting two hours post-burn gets the first half over six hours.
Which burns count toward the %TBSA?
Partial- and full-thickness burns only — superficial (erythema-only) areas are excluded. Overestimating the burn area is a common route to over-resuscitation, so assess the %TBSA carefully before calculating.
Is the calculated volume the prescription?
No — it is the starting estimate. Titrate to urine output, roughly 0.5 mL/kg/h in adults; over-resuscitation ('fluid creep') causes real harm, including compartment syndromes and pulmonary oedema.
Which fluid does Parkland specify?
Ringer's lactate, at 4 mL per kilogram per percent TBSA over the first 24 hours, per Baxter and Shires (1974). Colloid and maintenance decisions beyond that first day follow your burns unit's protocol.
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