The nurse is caring for a client with 40% full thickness burned total body surface area (TBSA) in the Emergency Department. The nurse is awaiting transfer to a regional burn center within 20 minutes. What is the most appropriate initial wound care management while awaiting transfer?
Gently cleanse the wounds with warm soapy water
Remove blistered skin and cover with a dry dressing
Apply saline soaked wet-to-dry dressings
Cover with a clean dry sheet to prevent hypothermia
The Correct Answer is D
A. Gently cleanse the wounds with warm soapy water
Initial burn care focuses on preventing hypothermia and infection. Cleaning is usually performed in a controlled setting like a burn unit, not in the emergency phase.
B. Remove blistered skin and cover with a dry dressing
Blisters should not be removed in the initial phase unless they are large and tense. Removal increases the risk of infection.
C. Apply saline-soaked wet-to-dry dressings
Wet dressings can lead to hypothermia in burn patients, which worsens outcomes. Dry coverings are preferred.
D. Cover with a clean dry sheet to prevent hypothermia
Burn patients lose heat rapidly due to loss of skin integrity. Covering with a clean, dry sheet helps prevent hypothermia and infection before transfer.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Notify the physician and anticipate the need for endotracheal intubation
The client is showing progressive airway obstruction due to inhalation injury. The absence of wheezes indicates impending respiratory failure, requiring immediate airway management.
B. Place the client in semi-Fowler's position and administer an albuterol breathing treatment
Albuterol may help bronchospasm, but this client's issue is upper airway swelling, not bronchospasm. Intubation is the priority.
C. Encourage the client to cough, take deep breaths, and then auscultate again
The loss of wheezes suggests airway swelling has worsened, not that secretions are the issue. Immediate intervention is needed.
D. Recommend a medical prescription for guaifenesin and encourage use of incentive spirometry
Guaifenesin and incentive spirometry help with secretion clearance, but they are not the priority in this emergent airway situation.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. Auscultate bowel sounds, record the findings, and obtain a 12-lead ECG
While auscultating bowel sounds can help assess for bowel injury and an ECG is useful for monitoring cardiac function, these interventions are not the priority. The client is in shock and requires immediate intervention to restore perfusion.
B. Initiate the standing prescription for Dopamine at 16 mcg/kg/minute
Dopamine can be used to support blood pressure in shock, but fluid resuscitation is the first-line intervention in hypovolemic shock. Vasopressors like dopamine are typically added after fluid resuscitation if hypotension persists.
C. Place soft restraints on the upper extremities and sedate as necessary
The client's restlessness is likely due to hypoxia and inadequate perfusion, not agitation. Restraints and sedation would delay critical interventions and could worsen hemodynamic instability.
D. Lower the head of the bed, obtain a pulse ox, and increase the rate of IV fluids
The client is in hypovolemic shock due to suspected internal bleeding. Lowering the head of the bed improves cerebral perfusion, increasing IV fluids restores intravascular volume, and checking pulse oximetry ensures adequate oxygenation. This is the priority action to stabilize the client.
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