safe care with wounds and burns

Question 1

what do you need for check for in terms of breathing when a patient has a burn

Answer 1

carbon monoxide poisoning

Question 2

during the exposure of the primary survery, what should be assessed when dealing with a patient with burns.

Answer 2

the percentage of the total body surface area injured (%TBSA) and the depths of each of the burns.

Question 3

what is the Wallace rule of nines’ method method?

Answer 3

quickly estimate the percentage of the body burnt in adult patients with medium to large burns
This method involves dividing the body into sections, with each arm and the head each representing 9%, and the chest, back and each full leg representing 18% each.8 This method can be inaccurate in children.

Question 4

what is the first thing you do when managing the burn?

Answer 4

remove loose clothing and jewellery apart from anything that is adhered to the wound.

Cool the wounds with cool tap water for 20 minutes if the wound occurred 3 hours ago or less. Do not use ice packs or other extremely cold products.

Clean the wound with normal saline.

Cover the wound with clingfilm loosely. Never wrap clingfilm around a limb circumferentially, as this may create a constrictive eschar and can affect distal blood flow.

Question 5

what is a chemical burn?

Answer 5

The strong acids and alkalis in household chemicals can cause continuous tissue destruction until the pH is neutralised, leading to very deep chemical burns.

Question 6

what are electrical burns

Answer 6

Lightning strikes and contact with power lines may cause large electrical burns with visible entry and exit wounds.

Question 7

what is a tourniquet?

Answer 7

bands that are tied around an arm or leg when bleeding is uncontrollable due to a severe wound like a gunshot, stabbing, or heavy machinery accident.