Calculators & Tools

Parkland Formula Calculator

Burns Fluid Resuscitation

1 What is the Parkland Formula Calculator?

The Parkland Formula Calculator estimates first-24-hour IV fluid resuscitation volumes for a burns patient using the Modified Parkland Formula (3 mL x %TBSA x weight in kg) with Lactated Ringer's Solution. It splits the total into a Phase 1 rate (first 8 hours from the time of burn, adjusted for any fluid already given and for time already elapsed) and a Phase 2 rate (the remaining half over the following 16 hours), and separately calculates a Holliday-Segar maintenance fluid rate to run alongside resuscitation fluid. It also includes a Rule of Nines reference table for estimating %TBSA by age band and flags that this method is less accurate in children, linking out to the app's Lund & Browder Chart calculator for paediatric TBSA estimation.

2 When to use it

  • Calculating first-24-hour IV resuscitation fluid volume and rate for a patient with 2nd- or 3rd-degree burns
  • Adjusting the resuscitation rate when some IV fluid has already been given before the calculation, or when time has already elapsed since the burn
  • Determining the separate maintenance fluid rate that should run alongside burns resuscitation fluid
  • Looking up an approximate %TBSA using the Rule of Nines by age band (infant, child, adult) as an input to the formula
  • Guiding urine-output-based titration of the resuscitation rate after it is started
  • Cross-referencing to the Lund & Browder Chart for more accurate paediatric %TBSA, and to the Revised Baux Score for mortality risk, once TBSA is known

3 Formula & method

Total 24-hour volume = 3 mL x %TBSA x weight (kg), using Lactated Ringer's Solution. Half of this total is given in Phase 1: the tool subtracts any IV fluid already administered from the first half, then divides the remainder by the hours remaining until 8 hours post-burn (8 minus time elapsed) to get the Phase 1 hourly rate. The second half of the total is given in Phase 2, divided evenly over the following 16 hours. Maintenance fluid is calculated separately using the Holliday-Segar rule (100/50/20) and is intended to run as an additional line, not counted against the resuscitation volume. %TBSA can be estimated from a built-in Rule of Nines table, with percentages differing by Infant (<1 yr), Child (1-9 yrs), and Adult (>=10 yrs) bands — noting a patient's palm is approximately 1% of body surface area.

4 Frequently asked questions

What fluid does the Parkland Formula use here, and at what dose per %TBSA?

This calculator uses the Modified Parkland Formula at 3 mL/kg/%TBSA of Lactated Ringer's Solution for the total 24-hour volume, split into the Phase 1 and Phase 2 rates described in the tool.

Does the 'time elapsed since burn' field mean time since hospital arrival?

No — the app instructs entering the actual time elapsed since the burn injury itself, not since hospital arrival, and caps entry at 7 hours (enter 7 if more time has passed).

Is maintenance fluid included in the Parkland total, or given separately?

Separately — the calculator computes a Holliday-Segar maintenance rate that is meant to be prescribed and run as its own IV line, in addition to the Parkland resuscitation fluid.

Why does the tool warn that the Rule of Nines is less accurate for children?

Because children's body proportions, especially head and legs, differ from adults', the app flags this limitation directly and links to its Lund & Browder Chart calculator for more precise paediatric %TBSA estimation.

What urine output should I target while titrating the resuscitation rate?

The tool lists a paediatric target of 1 mL/kg/hr and an adult target of 0.5-1 mL/kg/hr (30-50 mL/hr), with guidance to increase the rate 10-20% if urine output is below target and decrease it 10-20% if above target.

For qualified clinicians. This page and the PediAid app are a clinical aid only. Calculations and reference data must be verified against the patient's clinical context, the source guideline and your local protocols before any treatment decision is made.