Content available only in Spanish.
Thermoregulation in the burned patient
Thermoregulation in the burned patient
Marco A. Garnica-Escamilla 1 
, Francisca A. Flores-Sandoval 2, Julieta Garnica-Escamilla 3, Jaqueline Morales-Nuño 4, Victoria N. Cid-Vázquez 5, Miguel Á. Rivera-Orna 6, Guadalupe Rocha-Rodríguez 7
1 Departamento de Anestesia, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Secretaría de Salud, México; 2 Servicio de Urgencias Médico Quirúrgicas, Hospital Regional General Ignacio Zaragoza, Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE), México; 3 Outpatient Clinic, Centro de Salud T-III Carmen Serdán, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City, Mexico; 4 División de Anestesiología, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra. Secretaría de Salud. Ciudad de México, México; 5 Servicio de Anestesiología, Hospital Alta Especialidad, ISSSTE Morelos, Emiliano Zapata, Mor., México; 6 Terapia Intensiva, Centro Nacional de Investigación y Atención de Quemados, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México. México; 7 Departamento de Radiología, Hospital Juárez de México. Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México, México
*Correspondence: Marco A. Garnica-Escamilla. Email: teranestmarco@yahoo.com.mx
Abstract
The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays essential roles as a protective barrier against fluid loss, microbial invasion, ultraviolet radiation, and thermoregulation. Thermoregulation is defined as the body’s ability to maintain temperature through central and peripheral mechanisms that preserve homeostasis. In burn patients, thermoregulation is significantly impaired, mainly due to hypermetabolism and loss of skin integrity. Heat loss occurs through four mechanisms: radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation. Hypothermia is one of the main complications, particularly in patients with burns involving more than 20% of total body surface area, and is associated with increased mortality due to its relationship with the lethal triad: acidosis, hypothermia, and coagulopathy. The consequences include hemodynamic, metabolic, immunological, and coagulation alterations. The aim of this study is to describe the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in thermoregulation impairment in burn patients, as well as its clinical consequences and preventive strategies.
Keywords: Thermoregulation. Hypermetabolism. Hypothermia.
