Burn Care

Question 1

What is included in the primary survey for a burn victim?

Answer 1

airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure

Question 2

How is a patient’s temperature maintained after a burn?

Answer 2

keep room warm, keep patient covered with dry sheets and blankets, and use warm IV fluids

Question 3

Why are pediatric patients more susceptible to scald burns?

Answer 3

The skin of the pediatric patients is thinner (especially babies)

Question 4

What is an important aspect to address when there is a flame or scald burn?

Answer 4

if there may be any abuse or neglect

Question 5

What are the 5 ways that someone can acquire a burn?

Answer 5

exposure to heat (flames, steam, hot objects and liquids), chemicals (household or industrial), electricity (current or lightning), radiation (sun exposure, tanning or radiography), or extreme cold

Question 6

Which type of burn is characterized by deep penetration of tissues and necrosis continuing for several hours after injury?

Answer 6

Alkaline burn

Question 7

Severe electrical contact injuries are often caused by low-voltage lines in which form?

Answer 7

Alternating current

Question 8

Which groups are at greatest risk for burn injuries?

Answer 8

Older adults

Children

Question 9

Which areas are most prone to injury as a result of radiation exposure?

Answer 9

Skin

Blood vessels

Intestinal lining

Bone marrow

Question 10

How is a burn injury classified?

Answer 10

according to depth of injury and extent of body surface area involved and by the deepest tissue destruction

Question 11

What is a superficial partial-thickness burn?

Answer 11

involve the epidermis and the superficial layer of the dermis. These burns may occur after brief contact with hot objects.

Question 12

What is a deep partial-thickness burn?

Answer 12

involve the epidermis and deep layer of the dermis—for example, a hot tar burn (thermal burn)

Question 13

What is a full-thickness burn?

Answer 13

involve the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layers of skin and tissue

Question 14

What can prolonged exposure to flames, electricity, or chemicals cause?

Answer 14

full-thickness burns

Question 15

What is a deep full-thickness/subdermal burn?

Answer 15

usually involve all layers of the skin and may include injury to muscle, tendons, or bone as a result of prolonged contact with flames, hot objects, or electricity

Question 16

How long does it take a superficial burn to heal?

Answer 16

Heals in 3 to 7 days via sloughing of the epidermal layer, no scarring

Question 17

How long does it take for a superficial partial-thickness burn to heal?

Answer 17

Heals in 10 to 14 days via re-epithelialization

No scarring; potential for hypo- or hyperpigmentation

Question 18

How long does it take for a deep partial-thickness burn to heal?

Answer 18

Heals in 21 days or longer

Potential for scarring and hypo- or hyperpigmentation

May require skin grafting for optimal function or appearance

Question 19

What kind of burns may require skin grafting?

Answer 19

deep partial-thickness, full-thickness, and subdermal burns

Question 20

What type of burn may require amputation?

Answer 20

subdermal burn

Question 21

How long can it take for wounds to show full extent of injury?

Answer 21

up to 72 hours

Question 22

What are reasons that wound conversion may occur?

Answer 22

impaired oxygenation of tissues, infection, mechanical trauma, and malnutrition

Question 23

What is the zone of coagulation?

Answer 23

the area of greatest damage that is typically closest to the heat source

Question 24

Using the rule of nines, calculate the extent of burn for a client with burns to the posterior head and posterior trunk

Answer 24

22.5%

Question 25

White, charred, leathery wounds are the result of which type of burn?

Answer 25

Full-thickness

Question 26

Which thermal burn zone is an area of immediately nonviable tissue?

Answer 26

Zone of coagulation

Question 27

What leads to massive fluid and electrolyte shifts from intravascular space to the interstitium?

Answer 27

loss of capillary seal

Question 28

What is the most important intervention for burn shock?

Answer 28

fluid resuscitation

Question 29

What does the Parkland formula calculate?

Answer 29

crystalloid fluid administration during first 24 hours post burn injury

Question 30

The resuscitative phase of burn injury lasts how long after the time of injury?

Answer 30

48 to 72 hours

Question 31

Critically burned clients are at high risk for which complication during the resuscitative phase?

Answer 31

Burn shock

Question 32

An adult client has a 55% TBSA burn and weighs 75 kilograms. Using the Parkland formula, calculate fluid resuscitation requirements for the first 8 hours.

Answer 32

8250 mL

Question 33

What is a primary component of treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning?

Answer 33

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Question 34

Which burns are the most painful?

Answer 34

Superficial partial-thickness burns

Question 35

In general, how are full-thickness burns best described?

Answer 35

not painful

Question 36

Neurological effects such as seizure or respiratory paralysis is most common with which type of burn injury?

Answer 36

Electrical

Question 37

Which burn injury is associated with pain that is exceptionally sensitive and painful even to an air current passing over it?

Answer 37

Partial-thickness

Question 38

The nurse anticipates administering a medication from which class to address acute-burn phase delirium?

Answer 38

Antipsychotic phenothiazine