Mersey Burns for calculating fluid resuscitation volume when managing burns

NICE has developed a medtech innovation briefing (MIB) on Mersey Burns for calculating fluid resuscitation volume when managing burns.

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.

MIBs provide a description of the medical technology, including its likely place in therapy, the costs of using the technology and a critical review of the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant published evidence.

Their purpose is to provide objective information on device and diagnostic technologies to aid local decision-making by clinicians, managers and procurement professionals. By making this information available, NICE helps to avoid the need for NHS organisations to produce similar information for local use.

MIBs are not NICE guidance. They differ in format, contain no judgement on the value of the technology and do not constitute a guidance recommendation.

MIBs are commissioned by NHS England and produced in support of the NHS 5 Year Forward View, specifically as one of a number of steps which will accelerate innovation in new treatments and diagnostics.