RESUMEN
PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of microalbuminuria monitoring in the management of patients with severe burns. METHODS: Consecutive patients admitted to the burn unit with total body surface area burn between 20% and 50% were examined for microalbuminuria during the hospitalisation. The findings were correlated to different clinical variables usually encountered in this patient category. RESULTS: Microalbuminuria was found in patients with inhalation injuries (100%), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS, 88.4%), burn sepsis (95.1%) and postoperatively (94.9%). CONCLUSION: Microalbuminuria is the only simple, non-invasive, bedside, immediate and cost-effective test to indicate for occurrence of SIRS, if the other variables were stabilised. It can be measured with every urine void or more often when a urinary catheter is inserted. This will affect our management of patients with severe burns.