Question 1

A patient is being discharged after treatment for a scald burn that caused a superficial burn over one hand and a superficial partial-thickness burn on several fingers. What should be included in this patient's discharge instructions?

Accepted Answer

A,B,C,E

Question 2

A patient is being evaluated for severe burns to the torso and upper extremities, with edema around the burned areas. How should the nurse describe the underlying cause for this assessment finding?

Accepted Answer

The edema around burned areas is primarily due to the inability of damaged capillaries to maintain fluids within the cell walls, leading to fluid leakage into the surrounding tissues.

Question 3

A patient recovering from a major burn injury is complaining of pain. Which medication should the nurse expect to be prescribed for this patient?

Accepted Answer

Morphine is a potent opioid analgesic commonly used for severe pain management, such as that experienced by burn patients. Administering it intravenously (IV) allows for rapid onset of pain relief and the ability to titrate the dose to the patient's pain level, making option A the most appropriate choice.

Question 4

The nurse is evaluating laboratory values for a patient with a burn injury. What results should the nurse expect for this patient?

Accepted Answer

In patients with burn injuries, fluid loss through the damaged skin can lead to hemoconcentration, which is reflected by decreased hemoglobin due to the destruction of red blood cells at the injury site and elevated hematocrit levels as the blood volume decreases relative to the number of red blood cells.

Question 5

The nurse is reviewing the results of laboratory tests to assess the renal status of a patient who experienced a major burn event on 45% of the body 24 hours ago. Which results should the nurse expect for this patient?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The nurse is reviewing the results of...

Question 6

The nurse is teaching a class of older adults at a senior center about household cleaning agents that may cause burns. Which agents should be included in this discussion?

Accepted Answer

Drain cleaners, household ammonia, oven cleaner, and toilet bowl cleaner are all cleaning agents that can cause chemical burns if not used properly. Lemon oil furniture polish, on the other hand, is not typically a strong enough chemical to cause burns.

Question 7

A 70-year-old patient is sunburned over much of the body. What self-care technique is MOST important to emphasize to an older adult to deal with the effects of sunburn?

Accepted Answer

Older adults are at higher risk for dehydration, so increasing fluid intake is important to prevent further complications from the sunburn. Applying lotions and taking analgesics can be helpful, but not as important as hydration. Maintaining warmth may not be a concern if the individual is already sunburned.

Question 8

A patient is scheduled for surgery to graft a burn injury on the arm. Which statement should the nurse include when instructing the patient about the procedure?

Accepted Answer

It is important for the patient to know that they will need to perform exercises to promote flexibility and reduce contracture after the surgery to prevent further complications.

Question 9

A patient comes into the emergency department with a chemical burn from contact with lye. Which facts about this type of burn should guide the nurse when assessing and planning care for this patient?

Accepted Answer

A chemical burn caused by contact with lye is typically an alkali burn, which tends to be deeper and more severe than acid burns. It is important for the nurse to be aware of these facts when assessing and developing a plan of care for the patient. Additionally, neutralizing an alkali burn can be more difficult than neutralizing an acid burn, making prompt and appropriate treatment essential.

Question 10

A patient is brought to the emergency department with the following burn injuries: a blistered and reddened anterior trunk, reddened lower back, and pale, waxy anterior right arm. Calculate the extent of the burn injury (TBSA) using the rule of nines. _____ %

Accepted Answer

The answer of A patient is brought to the emergency...

Question 11

When monitoring the vital signs of a patient who has sustained a major burn injury, the nurse assesses a heart rate of 11

Accepted Answer

The answer of When monitoring the vital signs of a...

Question 12

A patient has a scald burn on the arm that is bright red, moist, and has several blisters. The nurse would classify this burn as which type?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A patient has a scald burn on...

Question 13

A patient with a burn that is pale, waxy, and with large flat blisters asks the nurse about the severity of the burn and how long it will take to heal. How should the nurse respond?

Accepted Answer

The description of the burn as pale, waxy, and with large flat blisters indicates a deep partial-thickness burn, which involves damage to deeper layers of the skin. These burns take longer to heal, typically taking more than 3 weeks. The other options describe less severe burns that would heal more quickly.

Question 14

A nurse sees a patient get struck by lightning during a thunderstorm on a golf course. What is the first action the nurse should perform?

Accepted Answer

The first action that should be performed is to check the patient's breathing and circulation to determine if they are in cardiac arrest or respiratory distress. This should be done before any other interventions are performed.

Question 15

A patient receiving treatment for severe burns over more than half the body has an indwelling urinary catheter. When evaluating the patient's intake and output, what should the nurse take into consideration?

Accepted Answer

After a severe burn injury, the body experiences a period of decreased urine output due to a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys. As the body begins to recover, urine output will gradually increase. This process usually takes 24-48 hours. Therefore, the nurse should take into consideration that urine output will be reduced in the first 24-48 hours and will then increase.

Question 16

A patient has sustained a partial-thickness burn of 28% of total body surface area (TBSA) and full-thickness burn of 30% or greater of TBSA. How should the nurse classify this burn injury?

Accepted Answer

According to the American Burn Association, a burn injury is classified as major if the patient has partial-thickness burns of more than 25% TBSA, full-thickness burns of more than 10% TBSA, or burns involving the face, hands, feet, genitalia, or major joints. Since the patient in this scenario has a partial-thickness burn of 28% TBSA and full-thickness burn of 30% or greater of TBSA, their burn injury is considered major.

Question 17

The nurse is classifying a patient's burn injuries. What information should the nurse assess to ensure this classification is correct?

Accepted Answer

The nurse should assess the depth of the burn, extent of burns on the body, causative agent and duration of exposure, and location of burns on the body to correctly classify the patient's burn injuries according to the standard burn classification systems. The time that the burns occurred may also be important to determine the appropriate course of treatment but is not necessary for burn classification.

Question 18

A patient arrives at the emergency department with an electrical burn. What assessment questions should the nurse ask when determining the possible severity of the burn injury?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A patient arrives at the emergency department...

Question 19

A patient has sustained a burn injury. Which nursing intervention is of the highest priority at this time?

Accepted Answer

Determination of the type of burn injury is the highest priority as it will guide the immediate management of the injury, including pain control, fluid resuscitation, and the need for transfer to a specialized burn center. The other interventions can be addressed later in the patient's history-taking and assessment.

Question 20

A 25-year-old patient is admitted with partial-thickness burns on both lower legs, over 20% of the total body surface area. How should the nurse classify this burn?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A 25-year-old patient is admitted with partial-thickness...

Quiz 17: Nursing Care of Patients With Burns