A patient has been rescued from a house fire and admitted to the burn unit with deep dermal, partial thickness (second degree) burns over approximately one-third of the back and upper thighs.
The nurse begins administration of prescribed crystalloid fluids for the first 24-hours following the burn incident.
What physiological response is promoted by the administration of the fluids?

Fluid resuscitation due to capillary leaking.

Restoration of electrolyte balance.

Replacement of insensible water loss.

Extension of plasma until blood is available.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

Choice A rationale

The administration of crystalloid fluids in the first 24 hours following a burn incident promotes fluid resuscitation due to capillary leaking. In the aftermath of a burn, there is a disruption of the normal fluid balance in the body, leading to increased capillary permeability and fluid shifts. This can result in a condition known as burn shock, characterized by decreased blood volume and inadequate tissue perfusion. The administration of crystalloid fluids helps to restore intravascular volume, improve tissue perfusion, and prevent burn shock. It also minimizes burn wound conversion and reduces the incidences of post-burn renal failure, life-threatening electrolyte disturbances, and mortality.

Choice B rationale

While restoration of electrolyte balance is an important aspect of burn management, it is not the primary physiological response promoted by the administration of crystalloid fluids in the immediate aftermath of a burn. Electrolyte imbalances in burn patients are usually a result of the systemic inflammatory response, fluid shifts, and renal dysfunction that can occur after a burn. These imbalances are typically managed through careful monitoring and specific electrolyte replacement therapies, rather than through the initial administration of crystalloid fluids.

Choice C rationale

Replacement of insensible water loss is another important aspect of burn management, but it is not the primary physiological response promoted by the administration of crystalloid fluids in the immediate aftermath of a burn. Insensible water loss occurs through evaporation from the burn wound surface and can be significant in burn patients. However, this is typically managed through the maintenance of a humidified environment and specific fluid replacement strategies, rather than through the initial administration of crystalloid fluids.

Choice D rationale

Extension of plasma until blood is available is not the primary physiological response promoted by the administration of crystalloid fluids in the immediate aftermath of a burn. While blood products may be required in the management of severe burns, particularly if there is significant blood loss or hemodynamic instability, the initial focus of fluid resuscitation in burn patients is on the administration of crystalloid solutions to restore intravascular volume and improve tissue perfusion.

Nursing Test Bank

Quiz #1: RN Exams Pharmacology Exams Quiz #2: RN Exams Medical-Surgical Exams Quiz #3: RN Exams Fundamentals Exams Quiz #4: RN Exams Maternal-Newborn Exams Quiz #5: RN Exams Anatomy and Physiology Exams Quiz #6: RN Exams Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Quiz #7: RN Exams Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Quiz #8: RN Exams Community Health Exams Quiz #9: RN Exams Promoting Health across the lifespan Exams Quiz #10: RN Exams Multidimensional care Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Quiz #1: Naxlex RN Comprehensive online practice 2019 B with NGN Quiz #2: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Quiz #3: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Exit Exam A Quiz #4: Naxlex HESI Exit LPN Exam Quiz #5: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor PN 2020 Quiz #6: Naxlex VATI PN Comprehensive Predictor 2020 Quiz #8: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 - Exam 1 Quiz #10: Naxlex HESI PN Exit exam Quiz #11: Naxlex HESI PN EXIT Exam 2

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is ["C","D"]

Explanation

Based on the client’s current condition and the urgency of the interventions, the nurse should complete the following prescriptions first:

C) Apply oxygen 1 L/minute: The client’s oxygen saturation level needs to be kept above 94%. Given her difficulty in breathing and the fact that she is pale and sitting upright, it’s crucial to ensure she is receiving enough oxygen.
D) Give albuterol as ordered: Albuterol is a bronchodilator that can help relieve the client’s asthma symptoms. Since her symptoms did not resolve after taking her usual dose of albuterol, administering another dose as ordered can help improve her breathing.

A. The right foot is cool to the touch and appears pale and blanched. B. The pressure dressing at the right femoral area is moist and oozing blood. C. The client’s blood pressure trend is downward, and the pulse is rapid and irregular. D. The pulse distal to the femoral artery is weaker on the left foot than the right foot.

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A rationale

The right foot being cool to the touch and appearing pale and blanched is a classic sign of arterial obstruction. After a cardiac catheterization via the right femoral artery, it’s possible that a clot or other obstruction could have formed, impeding blood flow to the right foot. This would cause the foot to become cool and pale due to lack of warm, oxygenated blood.

Choice B rationale

While a moist and oozing pressure dressing at the right femoral area could indicate a problem such as bleeding from the catheter insertion site, it does not specifically indicate arterial obstruction.

Choice C rationale

A downward trend in blood pressure and a rapid, irregular pulse could indicate many different problems, including shock, heart failure, or arrhythmias. However, these symptoms are not specific to arterial obstruction.

Choice D rationale

A weaker pulse distal to the femoral artery on the left foot compared to the right foot could indicate a problem with circulation to the left foot, but it does not indicate an obstruction in the right femoral artery.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Exhibits After the nurse assesses the client, the healthcare provider writes prescriptions. The nurse reviews the prescriptions. Which 2 prescriptions should the nurse complete first?

Correct Answer is ["C","D"]

Explanation

A client is two hours postoperative from a cardiac catheterization via the right femoral artery.Which assessment finding indicates arterial obstruction?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

As a nurse, you are reviewing the orders and planning initial steps for caring for the same patient.Which interventions should you perform?

The nurse is preparing discharge instructions for a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus who will be starting exenatide.What information should be included in the discharge instructions?

An elderly patient who had a fall at a store is admitted with a potential right hip fracture.What assessment finding should the nurse report to the healthcare provider?

While taking vital signs, a critically ill male client grabs the nurse’s hand and asks the nurse not to leave.What is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take?

When educating a patient newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus, the nurse explains that increased thirst is an early sign of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). What action should the nurse advise the patient to take if this sign of DKA appears?

The nurse has reviewed the patient’s chart.The nurse recognizes that this patient is hemorrhaging due to which condition?

Which client statements require follow-up teaching by the nurse? Select all that apply.

On the first day at 1830, certain medical procedures were initiated for the patient.Which of the following procedures were likely to have been initiated based on the patient’s condition?