Parkland Formula Calculator
Estimate the lactated Ringer’s volume for burn fluid resuscitation using the Parkland formula. Enter body weight and the percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) burned, or build TBSA from a Rule of Nines body map, to see the 24-hour total plus the infusion rates for the first 8 hours and the next 16 hours. Optional advanced inputs adjust for time already elapsed since the burn and fluid already given, and report the urine output target and the drip rate in drops per minute. This is a clinical starting point, not a substitute for bedside judgement.
Formula
Worked example
A 70 kg adult with 30% TBSA burns needs 4 x 70 x 30 = 8,400 mL over 24 hours: 4,200 mL in the first 8 hours (about 525 mL/hr) and 4,200 mL over the next 16 hours (about 263 mL/hr). If 2 hours have already passed, that first 4,200 mL is given over the remaining 6 hours, about 700 mL/hr.
What the Parkland formula calculates
The Parkland (Baxter) formula estimates the crystalloid volume an adult burn patient needs in the first 24 hours after injury. It multiplies 4 mL by body weight in kilograms and by the percentage of total body surface area burned. The fluid of choice is lactated Ringer’s solution because it is isotonic and buffers the metabolic acidosis common in major burns. Only partial-thickness and full-thickness (second- and third-degree) burns count toward TBSA; superficial first-degree burns are excluded. The formula is generally applied to adults with burns over 20% TBSA and children over 10% TBSA. This calculator also offers the Modified Brooke (3 mL/kg/%) and a reduced 2 mL/kg/% target used in some protocols to limit fluid creep.
Estimating %TBSA with the Rule of Nines
If you do not already have a burn percentage, switch the input to the Rule of Nines body map and select which regions are burned. In an adult, the head and neck are 9%, each arm 9%, each leg 18%, the front torso 18%, the back torso 18% and the perineum 1%. Children carry more surface area in the head (about 18%) and less in the legs (about 14% each), so this calculator adjusts the proportions when you choose the child patient type. For scattered or irregular burns, remember that the palm of the patient’s own hand, including the fingers, is roughly 1% of their body surface, which is useful for small or patchy areas.
How the volume is split over 24 hours
Half of the calculated total is given in the first 8 hours and the remaining half over the following 16 hours, because capillary leak and fluid shifts are greatest early after the burn. Crucially, the 24-hour clock starts at the time of injury, not when the patient reaches care. Turn on the advanced options to enter the hours already elapsed: the first half is then delivered over whatever is left of the initial 8 hours, so the early catch-up rate is higher than a naive division suggests. You can also subtract crystalloid already given in the field or transit, and the calculator reports the first-8h rate in drops per minute for your chosen IV administration set.
The formula is a starting point, not a prescription
Burn resuscitation is titrated to physiology, not fixed by arithmetic. A urinary catheter is placed and the infusion is adjusted hourly to maintain urine output of 0.5 to 1.0 mL/kg/hr in adults and 1.0 to 1.5 mL/kg/hr in children, both of which this calculator reports for the entered weight. Both under-resuscitation and over-resuscitation are dangerous: too little risks shock and acute kidney injury, while too much causes fluid creep, compartment syndrome and pulmonary edema. These figures are estimates for trained clinicians; actual management requires a burn-care professional and continuous monitoring.
Rule of Nines (adult vs child %TBSA)
| Region | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Head and neck | 9% | 18% |
| Each arm | 9% | 9% |
| Each leg | 18% | 14% |
| Front torso | 18% | 18% |
| Back torso | 18% | 18% |
| Perineum | 1% | 1% |
Each region as a percentage of total body surface area. Children carry proportionally more in the head and less in the legs. The palm of the patient’s hand (including fingers) is about 1%.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate the percentage of body burned?
Use the Rule of Nines: in adults the head is 9%, each arm 9%, each leg 18%, and the front and back of the torso are 18% each. This calculator can build the percentage for you from a body map, and it adjusts the proportions for children, who carry more surface area in the head. For small or scattered burns, the patient’s palm with fingers is about 1% of their body.
Does the Parkland formula include maintenance fluids?
In adults the Parkland volume is the resuscitation fluid only. Children typically also need maintenance fluid containing dextrose in addition to the Parkland volume, because their glycogen reserves are limited. Follow local burn-unit protocols for the maintenance component.
When does the 24-hour clock start?
It starts at the time of the burn injury, not when the patient is assessed. Enter the hours already elapsed in the advanced options and the calculator delivers the remaining first-half volume over what is left of the initial 8 hours, which raises the early rate. Any fluid already given can also be subtracted.
What is the Modified Brooke formula and why offer it?
The Modified Brooke formula uses 3 mL/kg/% instead of Parkland’s 4 mL, and some modern protocols start even lower at 2 mL to reduce over-resuscitation and fluid creep. All three are starting estimates that are titrated to urine output. Select the formula you are using from the dropdown.
Does this replace clinical judgement?
No. The Parkland formula gives a starting estimate only. Fluid rates must be titrated to urine output, blood pressure and other clinical signs by a qualified clinician. Always defer to local burn-care protocols and specialist advice.