A patient with partial-thickness burns covering 52% of the body would most likely have which central venous pressure reading indicating fluid volume deficit?

A patient with partial-thickness burns covering 52% of the body would most likely have which central venous pressure reading indicating fluid volume deficit?

• A. 1 mm Hg
• B. 2 mm Hg
• C. 6 mm Hg
• D. 10 mm Hg

Answer: (A)

In large burn injuries, capillary leak causes a lot of fluid to move from the bloodstream into the interstitial space, so intravascular volume drops and preload falls. Central venous pressure mirrors preload, reflecting the filling of the right atrium. When a patient has a significant fluid deficit from extensive burns, the CVP will be low. A reading of 1 mm Hg is well below the normal range (about 2–6 mm Hg) and indicates a marked decrease in circulating volume. The other values are either at or above normal or indicate higher preload, which wouldn’t fit a fluid-volume-deficit picture in this scenario. Thus, 1 mm Hg best matches the expected hypovolemia after widespread burns.