Burns

Question 1

environment

Answer 1

if the patient is in a smoke/fume filled environment, request assistance from fire
personnel and ensure that the patient is moved as quickly as possible to a fresh air zone
when safe to do so;
- is the patient isolated in a fresh air zone

Question 2

Consider

Answer 2

a. airway burns,
b. asphyxia (smoke inhalation),
c. carbon monoxide/cyanide poisoning, and
d. shock;

Question 3

Determine

Answer 3

a. source of burn,
b. if burn due to fire,
i. whether the fire occurred in an enclosed space, and
ii. whether the patient was unconscious or lost consciousness
during exposure to fire/fumes/smoke;
c. . area burned (e.g. location, circumferential),
burn depth (degree), and
percentage of body surface area burned,
d. assess distal neurovascular status in burned extremities,
e. assess for signs of smoke inhalation and upper airway injury

Question 4

<15%

Answer 4

for burn sites estimated to involve <15% of body surface area, cool burns and limit cooling to <30 minutes to prevent hypothermia;

cover all 1st degree burns with moist sterile dressing and then cover with dry sheet or blanket;

cover all 2nd degree burns estimated to involve <15% of body surface area with moist, sterile dressing, and dry sheet or blanket;

if remoistening of the dressing is required to continue to cool the burn, remove the dry sheet or blanket and remoisten the previously applied sterile dressing;

Question 5

> 15%

Answer 5

cover all 2nd degree burns estimated to involve ≥15% of body surface area with dry, sterile dressing or sheet;
cover all 3rd degree burns with dry, sterile dressing or sheet;

Question 6

prepare

Answer 6

keep the patient warm; and
17. prepare for expected problems, including,
a. airway obstruction,
b. if airway burns,
i. bronchospasm, and
ii. orolingual/laryngeal edema,
c. respiratory distress/arrest, and
d. agitation or combativeness