Cardiovascular and metabolic responses during burn shock in the guinea pig.

The hemodynamic and metabolic responses of fatally burned, nonfatally burned, and unburned control guinea pigs were compared. The burns were induced in temporarily anesthetized animals by immersion to either the xyphoid process (70% fatal) or the midabdomen (100%survival) in boiling water for 3 s. Although cardiac output was reduced in all animals postburn, the survivors (MAG) has higher cardiac outputs at lower arterial pressures than the nonsurvivors (XPN). The postburn lactate levels in the XPN were higher than in the MAG, and the postburn values for pH, oxygen consumption, and core temperature were lower in the XPN. In each group, hyperglycemia was evident for 8 h postburn and terminal plasma glucose concentrations were usually elevated or similar to the prevalue. It was concluded that fatal and nonfatal burn shock were distinguished primarily by differences in tissue perfusion.