Burn care. Metabolic alterations and nutritional management.

Major burn trauma is one of the greatest insults the body can sustain. Complex responses to this injury greatly increase the body's energy and nutritional requirements. This article presents the metabolic responses and associated nutritional requirements that occur with a thermal injury. Nursing standards of care for the nutritional management of the patient with thermal injury are presented, since nurses have a primary role in managing the patient's care in a manner that will provide adequate nutrients, reduce energy demands, and prevent potential complications associated with the injury, healing process, and therapeutic interventions.