Table 1 American Burn Association suggested definitions for utilising systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria in burn patients

The sepsis trigger in adult burn patient includes at least three of the following:

Temperature >39°C or <36.5°C

Progressive tachycardia

   Adults >110 bpm

Progressive tachypnoea

   >25 bpm not ventilated

   Minute ventilation >12 l/minute ventilated

Thrombocytopaenia (not applicable until 3 days after initial resuscitation)

   Adults <100,000/μl

Hyperglycaemia (absence of pre-existing diabetes mellitus)

   Untreated plasma glucose >200 mg/dl

   Insulin resistance >7 units/hour insulin intravenous drip

   >25% increase in insulin requirements over 24 hours

Inability to continue enteral feed >24 hours

   Abdominal distention

   Residual volume 2 × feeding rate

   Diarrhoea >2,500 ml/day