Burn Management Flashcards
7 cards from real TNCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Burn Management flashcards as text
During the emergent phase of burn care, the nurse should anticipate which hemodynamic changes due to the systemic inflammatory response?
Answer: Decreased cardiac output with increased systemic vascular resistance
In the emergent phase, massive capillary leak causes hypovolemia leading to decreased cardiac output, and catecholamine release increases SVR as a compensatory mechanism.
A patient with 30% TBSA burns develops hyperthermia to 39.5°C on day 3. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Normal hypermetabolic response to major burns
Major burns cause a sustained hypermetabolic state with elevated core body temperature (38–39°C) that is normal and not necessarily indicative of infection.
Mafenide acetate (Sulfamylon) differs from silver sulfadiazine primarily because it:
Answer: Provides broader gram-negative coverage and penetrates eschar
Mafenide acetate penetrates eschar to treat underlying infection, making it superior for infected burns, but it causes metabolic acidosis as a known side effect.
When assessing a burn patient's airway 6 hours after injury, which finding should prompt the most urgent action?
Answer: Stridor with increasing hoarseness
Stridor with worsening hoarseness indicates critical laryngeal edema that requires immediate intubation before the airway becomes inaccessible.
For a patient with alkali (lye) chemical burns, irrigation with water should be performed for at least:
Answer: 30 minutes or longer
Alkali burns require prolonged irrigation (30 minutes or more) because alkalis cause liquefactive necrosis and penetrate tissue more deeply than acids.
A burn patient is receiving colloid resuscitation on day 2. What is the primary rationale for shifting from crystalloid to colloid after 24 hours?
Answer: Capillary integrity is partially restored, allowing colloids to remain intravascular
After the first 24 hours, capillary leak begins to resolve, making colloid administration effective for maintaining oncotic pressure and reducing further edema.
Which pain management approach is most appropriate during burn wound dressing changes?
Answer: Pre-procedural IV opioid with possible anxiolytic, titrated to effect
Burn dressing changes cause severe procedural pain requiring pre-procedural IV opioids with anxiolytics, with dose titrated to the patient's pain and anxiety level.