Oxandrolone Dosing in Burn Patients
The recommended dose of oxandrolone for burn patients with severe burns (>20% total body surface area) is 10 mg twice daily (20 mg/day) to improve muscle protein metabolism, accelerate wound healing, and reduce hospital length of stay. 1
Indications and Benefits
Oxandrolone is strongly indicated for patients with:
- Severe burns (>20% total body surface area)
- Need for improved lean body mass preservation
- Requirement for accelerated donor site healing
The benefits of oxandrolone in burn patients include:
- Decreased length of hospital stay (31.6 days vs 43.3 days in placebo) 2
- Reduced weight loss (3 kg vs 8 kg in placebo) 3
- Improved donor site healing (9 days vs 13 days in placebo) 3
- Decreased nitrogen loss 3
- Maintenance of lean body mass 1
Dosing Protocol
- Standard dose: 10 mg twice daily (20 mg/day) 1, 4
- Timing: Begin around day 6-7 post-burn injury 4
- Duration: Typically 26-31 days 4, or until transfer to rehabilitation facility
- Monitoring: Regular liver function tests (transaminases) 2
Nutritional Considerations with Oxandrolone
Oxandrolone should be administered as part of a comprehensive nutritional approach:
- Protein intake: 1.5-2 g/kg/day for burn patients 5, 1
- Early enteral nutrition within 24 hours of injury 1
- Consider glutamine supplementation for burns >20% body surface area (0.3-0.5 g/kg/day) 5
Safety Considerations
- Transitory elevation of hepatic enzymes may occur but rarely reaches clinically significant levels 4
- In a study of 50 burn patients receiving oxandrolone at 20 mg/day, only 2.4% of ALT and 4.6% of GGT measurements reached clinically significant levels, and none required cessation of treatment 4
- Monitor hepatic transaminases throughout treatment 2
Clinical Evidence
The efficacy of oxandrolone has been demonstrated in multiple studies:
- A multicenter prospective randomized double-blind trial showed that oxandrolone at 10 mg every 12 hours significantly reduced length of hospital stay (31.6 days vs 43.3 days) 2
- Another study showed oxandrolone decreased weight loss (3 kg vs 8 kg), reduced nitrogen loss, and improved donor site healing time (9 days vs 13 days) 3
- A 2019 study confirmed the safety of oxandrolone at 20 mg/day as part of a metabolic bundle approach 4
Oxandrolone has become a standard of care in burn centers worldwide due to its significant benefits in improving outcomes for severely burned patients 1.