Which of the following laboratory values is anticipated in a burn-injured patient?

In a burn-injured patient, one of the anticipated laboratory findings is decreased hemoglobin along with elevated hematocrit levels. This occurs due to the significant fluid loss and shifts that happen following a burn injury.

When a burn affects a substantial portion of the body surface area, it can lead to a state of hypovolemia as fluid leaks from the vascular space into the tissues, causing edema. As a result of losing plasma volume, the blood becomes more concentrated, which causes the hematocrit level to rise despite a decrease in overall blood volume. In such cases, the hemoglobin level may decrease due to the dilution effect from the loss of plasma volume and the resultant shift of fluid interstitially.

The combination of elevated hematocrit and decreased hemoglobin indicates that the patient is experiencing relative blood volume changes rather than a true increase in red blood cell production. Therefore, the clinical understanding of these laboratory values helps guide the assessment and management of burn patients, including the potential need for fluid resuscitation and monitoring of blood components.