Your result provides the estimated total crystalloid volume (typically Lactated Ringer's solution) required for the first 24 hours following a significant burn injury. The total volume is divided into two phases: half should be administered in the first 8 hours from the time of injury (not from hospital arrival), and the remaining half should be infused over the subsequent 16 hours. For example, if the calculated total is 8,400 mL, the target rate for the first 8 hours would be approximately 525 mL/hr, followed by approximately 263 mL/hr for the next 16 hours.

This calculated volume is a starting point, not a fixed prescription. Actual fluid administration must be continuously titrated based on the patient's urine output (target 0.5–1.0 mL/kg/hr in adults, 1–2 mL/kg/hr in children), hemodynamic status, and clinical response. Both under-resuscitation and over-resuscitation carry significant risks.

Use the Parkland formula for initial fluid resuscitation planning in adult patients with burns exceeding 20% total body surface area (TBSA) and in children with burns exceeding 10% TBSA. These are the thresholds at which formal IV fluid resuscitation is generally required. Smaller burns are typically managed with oral hydration alone.

The formula should be applied as soon as possible after injury — ideally during the initial assessment and stabilization of the burn patient. It is a standard component of burn center admission protocols, emergency department burn management, and pre-hospital care planning for major burns. The formula is also applicable during interfacility transfer when calculating fluid rates for transport.

The Parkland formula is an estimate based on weight and burn surface area alone. It does not account for inhalation injury, electrical burns, or delayed presentations, all of which may require significantly more fluid than predicted. Patients with inhalation injury, for example, may need 30–40% more fluid than the formula suggests.

The formula also does not account for patient-specific factors such as pre-existing cardiac or renal disease, which may limit the ability to tolerate large-volume resuscitation. Over-resuscitation (sometimes called "fluid creep") is a recognized complication that can lead to abdominal compartment syndrome, pulmonary edema, and extremity compartment syndrome. The %TBSA estimate itself introduces error — inaccurate burn size assessment directly impacts the calculated volume. The Rule of Nines or Lund-Browder chart should be used carefully for TBSA estimation.