Burns: The “Fuse” That Ignites Organ Crisis – A Narrative Review of Mechanisms and Crosstalk in Post-Burn MODS

Abstract: Burns cause skin and deep tissue damage, with ~180,000 annual deaths worldwide, mostly in developing countries. Extensive burn patients are prone to secondary lung, kidney, liver, and heart dysfunctions, and infection-induced sepsis is a major cause of mortality. With August 20, 2025 as the retrieval cutoff, we systematically searched PubMed to review burn-induced organ injury progress. This review elaborates on each organ injury’s pathological mechanisms (inflammatory activation, endothelial disruption, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, etc.), clarifies post-burn cross-organ crosstalk, and summarizes emerging therapies (nano-targeted therapy, mitochondrial protection, stem cell intervention) and their clinical potential. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for post-burn organ dysfunction treatment and promote the transformation from single-organ protection to systemic intervention. Keywords: burns, organ dysfunction, sepsis, lung injury, kidney injury, hepatic injury, cardiac injury, cross-organ crosstalk, treatment