Parkland Formula Calculator
Estimate the first 24 hours of fluid resuscitation after a major burn with the Parkland formula. Enter body weight and the percentage of body surface area burned to get the total crystalloid volume, with half given in the first 8 hours from the time of the burn and the rest over the following 16 hours. This is a starting estimate that is then titrated to urine output.
About burn fluid resuscitation
The Parkland formula gives a starting estimate for crystalloid resuscitation after major burns, which is then adjusted to the patient’s urine output and haemodynamics to avoid both under- and over-resuscitation. Source: Baxter CR, Shires T, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1968; American Burn Life Support guidance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Parkland formula?
The Parkland formula estimates fluid for the first 24 hours after a major burn: total volume (mL) = 4 mL × body weight (kg) × percentage of total body surface area (%TBSA) burned. Half of that volume is given in the first 8 hours measured from the time of the burn (not from arrival), and the remaining half over the next 16 hours. The fluid used is a warmed crystalloid, classically lactated Ringer’s.
Which burns count towards %TBSA?
Only second-degree (partial-thickness) and third-degree (full-thickness) burns are included in the %TBSA used for the formula; superficial (first-degree) burns, such as simple sunburn, are not counted. Estimate the %TBSA using tools such as the Wallace “rule of nines”, the Lund–Browder chart (more accurate, especially in children) or the patient’s palm as roughly 1%. In the adult rule of nines, the head and each arm are 9% each, the front and back of the trunk are 18% each, and each leg is 18%, with children assigned a relatively larger share to the head to reflect their body proportions.
Is the calculated volume the final prescription?
No — the calculated volume is only a starting point. Fluid resuscitation is titrated to the response, mainly urine output, aiming for roughly 0.5 mL/kg/hr in adults (about 30–50 mL/hr) and around 1 mL/kg/hr in children. Modern burn care often starts at the lower end of estimates to avoid over-resuscitation (“fluid creep”), and the rate is adjusted up or down accordingly. The formula does not include maintenance fluid, which children in particular also need.
What time do the 8 hours start from?
From the time the burn happened, not from when the patient reaches hospital. If several hours have already passed, the first-half volume must be given over the remaining time within that initial 8-hour window, so the early rate is higher. This calculator shows the rates assuming the full 8- and 16-hour periods are available; adjust if there has been a delay.
What are the limits of this tool?
This tool gives an adult-oriented estimate and does not replace burn-centre protocols, does not add paediatric maintenance fluid, and does not account for inhalation injury, electrical burns or delayed presentation, all of which change fluid needs. This is an educational reference, not medical advice. Alternative formulas such as the modified Brooke formula (2 mL/kg/%TBSA) exist and are sometimes used instead, particularly where a lower starting volume is preferred, such as in patients with cardiac or renal comorbidity.
This is a reference tool, not a diagnosis or medical advice. Results depend on the laboratory, assay and clinical context, and reference intervals vary between labs and by age and sex — always read your result against the range printed on your own report and discuss it with a qualified healthcare professional.
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