Renal function after thermal trauma: the effects of treatment on renal blood flow and sodium and water excretion.

Effective renal plasma flow, urine sodium excretion, and glomerular filtration rates were reduced markedly to 44%, 46%, and 60% of normal, respectively, in rats subjected to thermal trauma. A sodium load of about 2 mEq. per 100 Gm. of body weight restores these functions toward normal. Doubling the concomitant water load had no discernible beneficial effect, but rats resuscitated with the larger water load were in greater positive water balance. These experimental data suggest that the water loads commonly administered clinically for the treatment of burn shock may be unnecessarily large.