Acute phase proteins and prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) in moderately burned children aged up to 3 years.

In 27 children (12 boys and 15 girls) aged 3 months to 3 years, the plasma levels of albumin, prealbumin, orosomucoid and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined after burn trauma. The results of these measurements were used to calculate the prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI). The children were assigned to two groups: a group with burns covering less than 10 per cent of the body surface area (BSA) (minor burns), and those with burns covering 11-20 per cent BSA. The lesions involved were either dermal burns (Class IIB) or full skin thickness burns (Class III). While the group with minor burns showed only a small decrease in albumin and prealbumin levels, the decrease in children with extensive burns was well below values on the first 7 days. On days 2, 5 and 7 after burning, the differences between both groups were statistically significant. Orosomucoid levels were somewhat elevated in the group with extensive burns. This difference, however, was not statistically significant compared with the group with minor burns whose values were slightly below the normal range. The levels of C-reactive protein were statistically significantly increased in children with extensive burns compared with those with burns. The PINI value correlated positively with the burn area given in per cent (for day 5 of follow-up, the regression line equation was y = 9.346 + 1.65 x). These data indicate that there are no pronounced changes in plasma protein levels in the group with minor burns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)