Parkland Burn Formula Calculator
The Parkland formula estimates the volume of intravenous fluid needed in the first 24 hours after a major burn. It uses body weight and the percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) burned, with half the total given in the first 8 hours from the time of injury and the rest over the following 16 hours. This tool computes those volumes. Burn resuscitation must be guided by a clinician and titrated to urine output, not given by formula alone.
Parkland formula
Total 24-hour fluid (mL) = factor * weight_kg * %TBSA burned
First 8 hours = total / 2 (from time of injury)
Next 16 hours = total / 2
First 8-hour rate (mL/hr) = (total / 2) / 8
Weight is in kilograms and TBSA is the percentage of body surface burned. The classic Parkland factor is 4 mL/kg per %TBSA, given as an editable input because some protocols use lower starting values. Half the total is delivered in the first 8 hours measured from the moment of injury, not from arrival.
Worked example
For a 70 kg adult with 30% TBSA burned at the classic factor of 4: total = 4 * 70 * 30 = 8,400 mL in 24 hours. The first 8 hours receive 4,200 mL, a rate of 525 mL/hr, and the next 16 hours receive the remaining 4,200 mL. Fluids are then titrated to urine output.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the fluid factor editable?
The classic Parkland formula uses 4 mL/kg per %TBSA, but some modern protocols start lower (for example 2 to 3) to avoid over-resuscitation, then titrate. Making the factor an input lets you match your local protocol rather than hardcoding one value.
Is the 8-hour clock from injury or arrival?
From the time of injury. If a patient arrives some hours after the burn, the volume already due for that elapsed time should be accounted for, which is a clinical adjustment this tool does not make automatically.
What %TBSA triggers formal resuscitation?
Formal fluid resuscitation is generally considered for larger burns (often cited as 20% or more TBSA in adults), but the threshold and the use of the formula are clinical decisions. The calculator simply applies the formula to your inputs.
Does this replace urine-output titration?
No. The Parkland figure is a starting estimate. Actual fluids are titrated to targets such as urine output, and this tool does not perform that titration.
Sources
- U.S. National Library of Medicine, StatPearls: Burn Resuscitation and Management.
- U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences: Burns fact sheet.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 19 June 2026. Educational tool, not medical advice. See our methodology.