Burns Flashcards
What is TBSA?
- Total Body Surface Area
What is STSG?
- Split Thickness Skin Graft
Are acid or alkali chemical burns more serious?
- ALKALI burns because the body cannot buffer the alkali, thus allowing them to burn for much longer.
Why are electrical burns so dangerous?
- most of the destruction from electrical burns is internal because the route of least electrical resistance follows nerves, blood vessels, and fascia; injury is usually worse than external burns at entrance and exit sites would indicate; CARDIAC DYSRHYTHMIAS, myoglobinuria, acidosis, and renal failure are common.
How is myoglobinuria treated?
HAM:
- Hydration with IV fluids
- Alkalization of urine with IV bicarbonate
- Mannitol diuresis
What is a FIRST-degree burn?
- epidermis only
What is a SECOND-degree burn?
- epidermis and varying levels of dermis
What is a THIRD-degree burn?
- “full thickness” including the entire dermis
What is a FOURTH-degree burn?
- burn injury into bone or muscle
How do FIRST-degree burns present?
- painful, dry, red areas that do not form blisters (think of sunburn).
How do SECOND-degree burns present?
painful, hypersensitive, swollen, mottled areas with BLISTERS and open weeping surfaces.
How do THIRD-degree burns present?
- painless, insensate, swollen, dry, mottled white, and charred areas; often described as DRIED LEATHER.
What is the major clinical difference between SECOND- and THIRD-degree burns?
- THIRD-degree burns are painless, and SECOND-degree burns are painful.
By which measure is burn severity determined?
- depth of burn and TBSA affected by second and third degree burns.
How is TBSA calculated?
- by the “rule of nines” in adults and a modified rule in children to account for the disproportionate size of the head and trunk.
What is the “rule of nines”?
- each upper limb= 9%
- each lower limb= 18%
- anterior and posterior trunk= 18% each
- head and neck= 9%
- perineum and genitalia= 1%
What is the “rule of the palm”?
- surface area of the patient’s palm is 1% of the TBSA (used for estimating size of small burns).
What is the burn center referral criteria for SECOND-degree burns?
- greater than 20% of TBSA
* greater than 10% TBSA in children
What is the burn center referral criteria for THIRD-degree burns?
- greater than 5% TBSA
- any burns involving the face, hands, feet, or perineum
- any burns with inhalation injury
- any burns with associated trauma
- any electrical burns
What is the treatment of FIRST-degree burns?
- keep clean, Neosporin, pain meds
What is the treatment of SECOND-degree burns?
- remove blisters; apply antibiotic ointment (Silvadene) and dressing; pain meds
Do most SECOND-degree burns require skin grafting?
- NO, because the epidermis grows form hair follicles and from margins.
What are some newer options for treating a SECOND-degree burn?
- Biobrane (silicone artificial epidermis- temporary)
2. Silverlon (silver ion dressings)
What is the treatment of THIRD-degree burns?
- early excision of eschar (within first week postburn) and STSG (split thickness skin graft)
How can you decrease bleeding during excision?
- tourniquets as possible, topical epinephrine, topical thrombin.
What is a n autograft STSG?
- STSG from the patients own skin