Advice

Summary

Summary

Mersey Burns is an app that helps to determine fluid resuscitation requirements for patients with burn injuries. It calculates the percentage area of the body affected by the burn and uses this to calculate the fluid resuscitation requirements. The available evidence is of limited quantity and quality. Two studies comparing Mersey Burns with paper chart and calculator‑based methods, using clinical simulation data, suggested that the app determined fluid requirements more quickly. In 1 of the studies, medical students with no previous experience of burns management calculated fluid requirements using Mersey Burns and a paper and calculator‑based method. The study reported significantly better accuracy for fluid volumes calculated using the Mersey Burns app compared with the paper‑based method, although the findings may be subject to bias. Mersey Burns is available on several commonly used platforms and is free to download.

Product summary and likely place in therapy

  • Mersey Burns is a software application (app) that calculates the total burn surface area (TBSA) in patients with burn injuries, as well as the volume of resuscitation fluids needed using the Parkland formula and background fluid requirements.

  • It can be used in any setting but may be particularly useful in acute care such as emergency departments.

  • It would replace traditional paper chart and calculator methods for estimating TBSA and calculating fluid requirements.

  • If adopted, Mersey Burns could facilitate early management by non‑burns specialists but would not otherwise alter burn management.

Effectiveness and safety

  • The available evidence is limited in quantity and quality.

  • Two studies were identified that used Mersey Burns in clinical simulations. The studies included 96 patients and a total of 414 calculations. Both studies suggested that using Mersey Burns resulted in faster calculation of fluid resuscitation requirements than estimating TBSA using the Lund and Browder paper chart with a calculator. However, 1 of the studies concluded that this is unlikely to be clinically significant in practice.

  • One study found that inexperienced users calculated 8‑ and 16‑hour fluid volumes with 100% accuracy using the Mersey Burns app compared with 62% and 64% respectively for the paper chart and calculator methods. Accuracy was assessed by 2 of the study authors and may be subject to bias. The study also highlighted the uncertainty in current methods used to calculate background fluid requirements in children.

  • One study found that users preferred Mersey Burns to traditional paper chart and calculator methods.

Technical and patient factors

  • Mersey Burns can be used for patients of any age. It makes adjustments for infants and children, on the basis that their head makes up a larger proportion of their body compared with adults.

  • Mersey Burns is intended for use only by qualified medical professionals, but they do not need to have specialist experience in burn injury management. It can be used if the patient is not present as long as the TBSA is known.

Cost and resource use

  • The Mersey Burn app is free to download and use.

  • No published evidence was identified on the resource implications of using the technology.