Burn and Thermal Trauma 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 and Thermal Trauma flashcards as text
When using the Rule of Nines to estimate total body surface area (TBSA) burned in an adult, what percentage is assigned to the entire head and neck?
Answer: 9%
In adults, the Rule of Nines assigns 9% of total body surface area to the head and neck combined.
A burn wound that is moist, blistered, and extremely painful with a red or pink base is classified as which type?
Answer: Superficial partial-thickness (second-degree) burn
Superficial partial-thickness burns involve the epidermis and superficial dermis, presenting with blisters, moisture, and intense pain due to exposed nerve endings.
Using the Parkland formula, how much Lactated Ringer's should be administered in the first 8 hours after injury for a 70 kg patient with 30% TBSA burns?
Answer: 4,200 mL
The Parkland formula (4 mL × kg × %TBSA) gives 8,400 mL total; half is given in the first 8 hours from time of injury, equaling 4,200 mL.
What is the highest priority intervention when managing a patient with facial burns, singed nasal hairs, and hoarseness?
Answer: Securing the airway with early endotracheal intubation
Singed nasal hairs and hoarseness indicate inhalation injury; early intubation is critical because progressive airway edema can make later intubation impossible.
A patient rescued from a house fire presents with headache, nausea, and confusion but has a pulse oximetry reading of 99%. Which explanation is most accurate?
Answer: Standard pulse oximetry cannot differentiate carboxyhemoglobin from oxyhemoglobin, yielding a falsely normal reading
Pulse oximetry measures light absorption but cannot distinguish carboxyhemoglobin from oxyhemoglobin, so readings appear falsely normal despite significant CO poisoning.
A patient with chemical burns from a strong acid should receive which immediate decontamination treatment?
Answer: Copious water irrigation for a minimum of 15–30 minutes
Copious water irrigation is the standard immediate treatment for chemical burns; neutralizing agents can cause exothermic reactions and worsen the injury.
A patient with circumferential full-thickness burns of the chest has increasing respiratory distress with rising peak airway pressures. What intervention should the trauma nurse anticipate?
Answer: Chest escharotomy to release the constrictive eschar
Circumferential full-thickness chest burns create rigid eschar that restricts chest wall expansion; escharotomy relieves constrictive pressure and restores ventilatory capacity.