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Parkland Formula Calculator

Estimate initial adult burn fluid using the ABA 2 mL/kg/%TBSA starting formula, with the classic Parkland 4 mL/kg/%TBSA total for comparison. Covers adults with burns of at least 20 percent TBSA and does not support pediatric resuscitation.

Patient details

Second and third degree only. Exclude superficial (1st degree) burns. Use the Rule of Nines or Lund-Browder chart.

First 8-hour window starts at time of injury, not arrival. Enter the elapsed hours so the first-half rate reflects the time you actually have left.

Enter documented resuscitation fluid since the burn. The first window rate uses only the remaining estimated balance.

ABA initial estimate (2 ml/kg/percent), 24-hour total

3,493 ml

Classic Parkland (4 ml/kg/percent) total: 6,985 ml. The 2023 ABA guideline recommends initiating adult burn-shock resuscitation at 2 ml/kg/percent TBSA to reduce excess fluid volume.

Remaining in first 8 hours

218 ml/hour

1,746 ml over 8 hours

Next 16 hours

109 ml/hour

1,746 ml over 16 hours

Patient weight
69.9 kg (154 lb)
TBSA burned
25 percent
Fluid already given
0 ml

ABA referral guidance

Partial-thickness burns of 10% TBSA or more warrant immediate burn-center consultation with consideration for transfer. Full-thickness burns and burns involving critical areas have separate referral criteria.

Initial estimate only

This estimate is not a prescription. The ABA guideline states that its recommendations do not replace clinician judgment. Actual fluid must be adjusted from repeated assessment in an appropriate acute-care setting.

Burn Resuscitation Initial-Volume Examples

The calculator starts with the ABA 2023 adult 2 mL/kg/%TBSA volume and also reports the classic Parkland 4 mL comparison. It applies to adults with burns of at least 20% TBSA.

WeightBurn areaABA 24-hour totalFirst 8 hoursClassic 24-hour total
50 kg20%2,000 mL1,000 mL4,000 mL
70 kg20%2,800 mL1,400 mL5,600 mL
90 kg30%5,400 mL2,700 mL10,800 mL
80 kg40%6,400 mL3,200 mL12,800 mL
100 kg20%4,000 mL2,000 mL8,000 mL

Burn resuscitation is emergency care. The Parkland formula is only an initial guide and must be adjusted by a burn team using clinical response.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Parkland Formula Calculator

What counts toward TBSA in the Parkland formula?
Formal burn-resuscitation estimates count partial-thickness and full-thickness burns, not superficial erythema alone. Depth and TBSA are often misclassified outside burn care, and deliberately underestimating either is unsafe. A trained clinician or burn center should assess the burn and recalculate TBSA. This calculator is not a substitute for that examination.
How do I estimate TBSA at the bedside (Rule of Nines vs Lund-Browder)?
The adult Rule of Nines assigns 9 percent to the head, 9 percent to each arm, 18 percent to each leg, 18 percent to the anterior trunk, 18 percent to the posterior trunk, and 1 percent to the perineum. For irregular burns, the patient's palm including fingers approximates 1 percent TBSA. The Rule of Nines is inaccurate in children because body proportions differ; pediatric assessment uses an age-adjusted Lund-Browder chart. A burn team should confirm depth and TBSA and titrate fluid to the patient's response.
Why lactated Ringer's instead of normal saline for burn resuscitation?
Burn protocols commonly use lactated Ringer's for initial crystalloid resuscitation, but fluid choice, rate, and endpoints belong to a burn team. The calculator implements the classic Parkland 4 mL/kg/%TBSA estimate. Current American Burn Association guidance for adults with burns covering at least 20 percent TBSA recommends starting at 2 mL/kg/%TBSA to reduce excess fluid, then titrating to clinical endpoints. Do not use the displayed volume as an unattended order.
Why do pediatric burn patients need maintenance fluid on top of Parkland?
This calculator does not support pediatric burn resuscitation. It accepts adult and elderly inputs only and does not add pediatric maintenance fluid or glucose. Children need age-specific assessment and a pediatric burn team's protocol; do not use the adult result as a pediatric order.
When does a burn require ABA burn-center referral?
American Burn Association referral guidance calls for immediate consultation or transfer consideration for full-thickness burns, partial-thickness burns at or above 10 percent TBSA, deep burns of critical areas, suspected inhalation injury, chemical or high-voltage electrical injury, significant comorbidity or trauma, poorly controlled pain, and pediatric burns that exceed local capability. The criteria distinguish consultation from automatic transfer. Contact a burn center early for case-specific direction.

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