Parkland formula calculator
Enter body weight and the percentage of body surface burned to get the Parkland fluid volume for the first 24 hours, half of it in the first 8 hours from the time of the burn. It is an estimate for information, not a treatment order.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Choose kg or lb and enter the body weight.
- Enter the percentage of body surface burned (partial and full thickness), for example from the rule of nines calculator.
- Keep 4 mL/kg/% for Parkland or enter your protocol’s factor.
- Read the 24-hour volume and the volumes and rates for the two periods.
V (mL) = 4 × weight (kg) × TBSA (%)
- first 8 hours from the burn: V / 2, rate V / 2 / 8 mL/h;
- next 16 hours: V / 2, rate V / 2 / 16 mL/h.
Weight in pounds is converted with 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg.
Worked example
A 70 kg adult with 30 % TBSA burns: 4 × 70 × 30 = 8,400 mL in 24 hours. 4,200 mL over the first 8 hours is 525 mL/h, and 4,200 mL over the next 16 hours is 262.5 mL/h, about 263 mL/h.
The same patient weighed as 154 lb (69.9 kg) gets 8,382 mL.
Tips
- Only partial- and full-thickness burns count towards TBSA; adding superficial redness overestimates the fluid.
- Children also need maintenance fluid on top of the Parkland volume; the maintenance fluid calculator gives the 4-2-1 rate.
- This is an estimate for information, not a treatment order. Major burns need specialist care.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Parkland formula?
Fluid for the first 24 hours after a burn = 4 mL × body weight in kg × percentage of body surface burned. Half is given in the first 8 hours and half over the next 16 hours. It is usually given as a balanced crystalloid such as lactated Ringer's (Hartmann's) solution.
Do the 8 hours start on arrival?
No, from the time of the burn. If the patient arrives 2 hours after the burn, the first half is given over the remaining 6 hours, so the hourly rate is higher.
Why can I change the 4 mL?
Some burn centres start at a lower volume, for example 2 mL × kg × %TBSA, to avoid giving too much fluid. The calculator lets you enter the factor your protocol uses; 4 is the Parkland value.
Is the formula volume what the patient will get?
It is a starting estimate. The rate is then adjusted hour by hour, mainly by urine output, so the real volume can be higher or lower.