Hematology, hemostasis, thromboprophylaxis, and transfusion medicine in burn patients

Severely burned patients suffer significant hematologic pathologies. Anemia develops from burn excisions and the anemia of critical illness. Fluid shifts, resuscitation, and factor consumption can cause significant coagulopathy. Transfusion of red blood cells to treat anemia, plasma to treat coagulopathy, and other blood products are critical to burn management. Critical illness, injury, immobilization, and other factors create a hypercoagulable state requiring venothromboembolic prophylaxis. Hematopoietic changes reduce red blood cell generation as well as affecting downstream immunologic function. Facile management of these hematologic pathologies is essential to the medical and surgical management of burn patients.