Burn

Question 1

Define burn.

Answer 1

an injury to the tissues of the body caused by heat, chemicals, electric current, or radiation.

Question 2

What influences effects of burn?

Answer 2

temperature, duration and type of tissue affected.

Question 3

What are some burn prevention strategies?

Answer 3

Child resistant lighters
Nonflammable clothing
Anti-scald settings on water heaters (> 120F or >48.9C is dangerous)
Building codes (Life Safety Codes)
Smoke detector requirements
Fire sprinklers in public buildings
No smoking in bed
Avoid open space heaters
Grounded electrical wiring
Turn pan handles away on stoves
Rescue/ escape plan for houses and workplaces

Question 4

What are the types of burns?

Answer 4

Thermal burns
Chemical burns
Smoke and inhalation injuries (breathing noxious chemicals or hot air)
Electrical burns
Radiation burns

Question 5

What is the most common type of burn?

Answer 5

Thermal burn

Question 6

Types of burn injuries are the same for children and adults. True or False

Answer 6

True

Question 7

What are the causes of thermal burn?

Answer 7

flame, flash, scald, or contact with hot objects

Question 8

The severity of the injury depends on the ________ of the burning agent and _______ of contact time.

Answer 8

temperature; duration

Question 9

What are the initial treatment of thermal burn?

Answer 9

Remove from heat and danger: STOP, DROP, ROLL
Remove metal objects unless adhered
Loosen garments, remove garments, cover with sterile (or clean sheet)
Cool with water or moist towels (NOT COLD)
Maintain thermoregulation
Airway assessment and management
Initiate IV(s)

Question 10

What is chemical burn?

Answer 10

an injury to tissue caused by contact with acids, alkalis, and organic compounds (such as phenol, petroleum)

Question 11

What are the initial treatment for chemical burn?

Answer 11

First aid: Brush off powders, Flush liquids with water for 20-25 minutes, Remove and dispose of contact lenses

Question 12

What burn is worst - acid or alkali?

Answer 12

Alkalis are worst because they adhere to tissues more and are not as readily neutralized by the body as acids

Question 13

What causes smoke inhalation injuries?

Answer 13

inhalation of hot air, steam, smoke, or noxious chemicals that cause damage to the respiratory tract

Question 14

What type of burn injury do you suspect if patient has burns of the head, neck, chest, or a burn that occurred in an enclosed area?

Answer 14

Smoke inhalation injuries

Question 15

What are the three types of smoke inhalation injuries?

Answer 15

metabolic asphyxiation, upper airway injury, and lower airway injury

Question 16

What type of burn is a major predictor of mortality in burn patients?

Answer 16

Smoke inhalation injuries

Question 17

In smoke inhalation injury patients, airway compromise (ARDS) and pulmonary edema can develop over the first ______ hours.

Answer 17

12 to 48 hours

Question 18

What type of burn injury would you suspect if the patient has signed nasal hair, hoarseness, coughing, airway redness, sore throat, or black carbon in sputum?

Answer 18

Smoke inhalation injuries

Question 19

Any patient that has burns to head, neck, chest, or face will be administered _____ % oxygen by mask and will need frequent respiratory assessments.

Answer 19

100

Question 20

Why do you need to intubate burn patients?

Answer 20

Mucosal burns of the oropharynx and larynx may cause redness, blistering, and edema. The edema can cause obstruction and lead to respiratory failure. Patient will need to be intubated before it becomes an emergency situation.

Question 21

Can burn patients develop pulmonary edema?

Answer 21

Yes. A lower airway injury occurs usually due to inhalation of toxic fumes. It can lead to pulmonary edema and acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). The pulmonary edema may not be evident for 12-24 hours after the inhalation, patient will need frequent respiratory assessments.

Question 22

Adults or pediatric patients - who are at high risk for smoke inhalation burn injuries?

Answer 22

Pediatric patients are at high risk for inhalation injury, must monitor pulmonary system frequently. It can even take up to 72 hours to become evident, that is, the damage has occurred.

Question 23

What two tests can be done to check for carbon Monoxide poisoning?

Answer 23

ABGs and Carboxyhemoglobin levels

Question 24

What are the clinical manifestations of carbon monoxide poisoning?

Answer 24

cherry red hue on the skin, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, confusion, tachypnea, tachycardia, visual changes, seizures, unconsciousness, or changes in LOC

Question 25

What are the initial treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning?

Answer 25

Get to fresh air, apply oxygen

Question 26

What is electrical burn?

Answer 26

an injury resulting from intense heat generated from an electric current.

Question 27

What does severity of electrical burn based on?

Answer 27

the amount of voltage, tissue resistance, current pathways, surface area, and duration of the flow

Question 28

What is the iceberg effect?

Answer 28

Most of the damage from an electrical injury is below the skin (cannot be seen from outside). The injury may look minor on the outside but may extensive damage on the inside.

Question 29

Always suspect ______ injury in electrical burn patients until ruled out.

Answer 29

cervical injury

Question 30

The electric shock can cause immediate heart standstill or ventricular _________.

Answer 30

fibrillation