When a burn patient is thirsty, they may drink a small amount of mildly salty water.

ANSWER · A

Severe burn patients often feel thirsty because, after a large skin area is burned, body fluids leak from the wound, reducing blood volume and water content. The more severe the thirst, the more serious the injury. Burn patients should not be given plain boiled water when thirsty: burns lose sodium and salt with body fluids; plain water further reduces blood sodium chloride concentration, lowers extracellular fluid osmotic pressure, and causes intracellular edema, leading to cerebral or pulmonary edema (water intoxication), which can be fatal. So do not give plain water; salt-containing drinks are fine.

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