Parkland Formula Calculator for Burns

Enter body weight and the percentage of body surface with partial- or full-thickness burns to get the 24-hour Ringer's lactate estimate, the split between the first 8 hours and the next 16 hours, and hourly rates — including a catch-up rate when fluids start late.

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Written and reviewed by the Kinase Medical Team · Last reviewed 30 September 2026

Quick Answer

Parkland formula: 4 mL × weight (kg) × %TBSA burned of Ringer's lactate in the first 24 hours. Give half in the first 8 hours from the time of the burn (not from arrival) and the rest over the next 16 hours. Count only partial- and full-thickness burns, and titrate the rate to urine output.

For learning — not for clinical decisions. This calculator is a study aid for exam preparation. Check every result against your institution's protocols and senior advice before acting on it.

Parkland formula calculator

Partial- + full-thickness only

Time from injury, not from arrival

Enter weight and % TBSA burned.

How it's calculated

24-hour volume
Volume (mL) = 4 × weight (kg) × %TBSA
First 8 hours after the burn
½ × Volume → rate = Volume ÷ 16 per hour
Next 16 hours
½ × Volume → rate = Volume ÷ 32 per hour
Late start (fluids begin h hours after the burn, h < 8)
Catch-up rate = (½ × Volume) ÷ (8 − h) per hour
Assumes no resuscitation fluid has been given yet.

Baxter and Shires derived the formula at the Parkland hospital in Dallas, which gave it its name. It estimates the fluid needed to keep up with the capillary leak that a major burn triggers, with half the volume front-loaded into the first 8 hours after injury.

How to interpret the result

Targets from StatPearls (NBK537190). The formula is a starting point; the response decides the rate.
CheckTarget / meaning
Urine output — adultsAbout 0.5–1 mL/kg/h
Urine output — childrenAbout 1–1.5 mL/kg/h
Urine output below targetIncrease the rate and reassess
Urine output well above targetReduce the rate — over-resuscitation (fluid creep) is harmful

Worked example

A 70 kg man has 30% TBSA partial- and full-thickness burns and reaches hospital 2 hours after the burn.

24-hour volume = 4 × 70 × 30 = 8,400 mL of Ringer's lactate.

First half = 4,200 mL, due by hour 8 after the burn. He has 6 hours left, so the rate is 4,200 ÷ 6 = 700 mL/h (not 525 mL/h, which would apply only if fluids had started at the time of the burn).

Second half = 4,200 mL over the next 16 hours = about 263 mL/h, adjusted to urine output.

Limitations and common pitfalls

  • Start the clock at the time of the burn. Timing from arrival delivers too little fluid in the critical first hours.
  • Do not include superficial (first-degree) burns in the % TBSA — they inflate the estimate.
  • The formula is only an estimate; patients commonly end up receiving more than it predicts (fluid creep). Titrate to urine output rather than chasing the number.
  • Children need age-appropriate TBSA charts and closer monitoring; follow paediatric burn protocols.

Revise the concept behind this tool: Rule of nines — estimating burn size (%TBSA) →

Sources

  1. StatPearls — Parkland Formula (NCBI Bookshelf, NBK537190)
  2. Endorf FW, Dries DJ. Burn Resuscitation. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2011 (PMC3226577)

For learning — not for clinical decisions. Reference ranges and cut-offs vary between laboratories and guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Parkland formula?▼
Fluid in the first 24 hours = 4 mL × body weight (kg) × % total body surface area (TBSA) burned, given as Ringer's lactate. Half is given in the first 8 hours after the burn and the other half over the next 16 hours.
Why is the time counted from the burn and not from arrival?▼
The formula's 8-hour window is defined from the time of injury, because the burn-driven capillary leak starts then. If a patient reaches hospital 3 hours after the burn, the first half of the fluid must still be completed by hour 8 — that is, over the remaining 5 hours, at a faster rate.
Which burns are counted in the % TBSA?▼
Only partial-thickness (second-degree) and full-thickness (third-degree) burns. Superficial (first-degree) burns are left out. In adults the burn size is commonly estimated with the rule of nines; children have different body proportions, so age-adjusted charts are used.
When is the Parkland formula used?▼
It is used to plan resuscitation in large burns — typically deep partial- or full-thickness burns of more than 20% TBSA in adults and more than 10% in children.
How do you know if the fluid rate is right?▼
The formula is only a starting estimate. The rate is adjusted hour by hour to urine output — about 0.5–1 mL/kg/h in adults and 1–1.5 mL/kg/h in children — along with the overall clinical picture.
What is fluid creep?▼
Fluid creep is the tendency for burn patients to receive more fluid than the Parkland formula predicts. Over-resuscitation can cause compartment syndromes, respiratory failure (ARDS) and multiple organ dysfunction, which is why rates should be reduced when urine output is more than adequate.
Formulas checked against tier-1 sources
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