Burns

Question 1

Which type of burn has partial thickness and has large, moist vesicles that increase in size.Color is mottled with dull, white, tan, pink or cherry red areas.
A. First Degree Burn
B. Second Degree Burn
C. Third Degree Burn

Answer 1

B. Second Degree Burn

Question 2

Which type of burn has little or no pain, no blanching with pressure and is dry with leathery eschar?
A. First Degree Burn
B. Second Degree Burn
C. Third Degree Burn

Answer 2

C. Third Degree Burn

Question 3

What information should be included in a nursing assessment of a burn?

Answer 3

1. depth of the burn (superficial, partial, full)
2. causative agent (ie. ultraviolet light, direct flame, chemicals)
3. temperature and duration of contact
4. skin thickness

Question 4

A burn exceeding what percentage of total body surface area results in massive evaporative water losses and fluid loss into the interstitial spaces?
A. 15%
B. 5%
C. 10%
D. 20%

Answer 4

D. 20%

Question 5

What causes thermal burns?

Answer 5

Flames, scalds, and thermal energy (heat)

Question 6

What are the three phases of pathophysiology and care of burns and what time frames do they cover?

Answer 6

Emergent phase: onset - stabilization (approx 12 hrs)
Acute phase: starts 48-72 hrs after burn and lasts from 10 days - months.
Rehabilitation phase: begins at admission. May last years.
**NOTE: phases may overlap

Question 7

What is the greatest concern during the emergent phase of a burn?

Answer 7

Hypovolemic shock. Because fluid shifts from the capillaries into the interstitial spaces causing cells to become dehydrated.

Question 8

What is the greatest concern during the acute phase of a burn? (aka diuretic phase)

Answer 8

Circulatory overload. Because fluid shifts back from the interstitial spaces into the capilaries.

Question 9

What is the greatest risk during the rehabilitation phase?

Answer 9

Infection because skin is damaged.

Question 10

What factors determine the classification of severity of a burn?

Answer 10

1. Percentage of the TBSA burned
2. Victim’s age
3. Specific location of the burn
4. Cause of the burn
5. Other diseases present
6. Depth of hte burn
7. Injuries sustained during the burn.

Question 11

If a patient has an electrical burn on their hands, what is the severity of the burn?

Answer 11

Major Burn

Question 12

If a 25 yo has a burn covering 10% TBSA, what is the severity of the burn?

Answer 12

Minor Burn

Question 13

If a 50 yo has a burn covering 15% TBSA with full thickness, what is the severity of the burn?

Answer 13

Major Burn

Question 14

If a 40 yo has burns covering 20% TBSA with partial thickness, what is the severity of the burn?

Answer 14

Moderate Burn

Question 15

If a patient has burns covering 18% TBSA and has black-tinged sputum and hoarseness, what is the severity of his/her burn?

Answer 15

Major Burn

Question 16

If a diabetic patient has burns covering 15% of their body with partial thickness, what is the severity of their burn?

Answer 16

Major Burn

Question 17

What are the signs and symptoms of inhalation injury?

Answer 17

singed facial hair
black-tinged sputum
soot in the throat
hoarseness
neck or facial burns
Stridor (life-threatening sign)

Question 18

What method should be used to determine if a patient has CO poisoning?
A. pulse oximetry
B. peak flow meter
C. carboxyhemoglobin test from blood sample
D. pulmonary function test

Answer 18

C. carboxyhemoglobin test from blood sample

Question 19

What are early signs of CO poisoning and how is it teated?

Answer 19

HA, N/V, unsteady gait

Administering 100% oxygen

Question 20

Why is it important to remove all nonadherent clothing and jewelry after an open airway is established and bleeding is controlled, during the emergent phase in a burn victim?

Answer 20

Because excessive swelling occurs.

Question 21

What is the open or exposure method of burn wound care and what areas of the body is this method used for?

Answer 21

The area is cleaned and exposed to air. This encourages the formation of a hard crust followed by tissue regeneration.
Used for burns of the face, neck, ears and perineum.

Question 22

What are the advantages of the open method of burn wound care?

Answer 22

1. The wound can be observed more easily
2. movement in bed is less restricted
3. circulation of the body part is not restricted
4. exercises can be done more easily

Question 23

What are the disadvantages of the open method of burn wound care?

Answer 23

1. pain
2. chilling
3. contamination of wound by the health care provider
4. unattractive appearance, which causes emotional distress
5. the need for protective isolation precautions for the immunocompromised patient

Question 24

What is the closed method of burn wound care and what are the advantages of this method?

Answer 24

Clean the burn, apply the prescribed medication and dress the wound as ordered.
Advantages:
1. it protects the burn area from injury
2. it prevents contamination of hte area by the health care provider.

Question 25

What should the room temperature be for the burn victim?

Answer 25

85 degrees F

Question 26

What common complications can occur during the acute phase?

Answer 26

Infection
heart failure
renal failure
contractures
Curling's ulcer

Question 27

What type of skin graft involves the transfer of tissue (often from a cadaver) between two genetically dissimilar individuals of the same species?

Answer 27

Homograft (aka allograft)

Question 28

What type of skin graft involves the transfer of tissue from one twin to twin?

Answer 28

Isograft

Question 29

What type of skin graft involves using tissue from another species such as a pig or cow?

Answer 29

heterograft (aka xenograft)

Question 30

What type of skin graft involves the surgical transplantation of any tissue from one part of the body to another location in the same patient?

Answer 30

autograft