A study in the online open access journal Critical Care which claims that large burns can trigger cardiac problems and enhanced inflammatory and hypermetabolic responses in patients.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says:
?This paper reinforces previous observations that death in patients with large burn injuries is often due to cardiac dysfunction, indicating that strategies to protect the heart may be important for their survival.
?Unfortunately, little is currently known of the mechanisms leading to cardiac dysfunction, but we know that injuries cause our bodies to produce natural protection and defence molecules, which can inadvertently have damaging effects elsewhere. More work is needed to test the value of anti-inflammatory drugs in this condition.?