Chapter 29: Burns Flashcards
(40 cards)
risk factors for burn injury
- extreme age group
- poverty
- african and native americans
- living in rural area
BSA
body surface area
burn shock
develops only after the first few hours, results from extensive vascular bed damage that allows both fluid and protein molecules in the plasma to leak into surrounding tissues, blood plasma seeps out everywhere due to fluid imbalance, there is a large fluid shift out of vessels
laryngeal edema
swelling of the larynx lining
eschar
tough, leathery burned skin
ARDS
acute respiratory distress syndrome
superficial burns
aka first degree, only involves epidermis, usually by flash, hot liquid, sun. skin appears pink/red, is dry, slight swelling, no blisters, soft and tender
partial thickness burns
aka a second degree burn, involves epidermis and dermis, from fire, hot liquids/objects, chemical substances, sun. plasma/tissue fluids collect between skin layers, form blisters, painful
superficial partial-thickness burns
- think walled blisters
- skin red and weeping
- skin blanches with pressure
- skin is soft and tender to touch
deep partial thickness burns
- thick-walled blisters often rupture
- skin can be a variable color, patchy areas that are red to cheesy white
- skin doesn’t blanch under pressure
- skin is wet or waxy dry
- patient can still feel pressure at site
- poor capillary refill to burn site
full-thickness burns
aka third degree, involves all skin layers, from extreme heat sources. skin becomes dry, hard, tough, leathery, can appear white and waxy to dark brown/black and charred, does not blanch to pressure
eschar
tough and leathery dead soft tissue formed in the full-thickness burn injury
most important factors to consider for burn severity
- depth of burn
- location of burn
- patient’s age
- preexisting medical conditions
- percentage of body surface area involved
circumferential burns
encircle a body area, critical because of circulatory compromise
compartment syndrome
develops when the edema is so extensive under the burned area that it starts to compress the nerves and vessels
rule of nines
standardized way to quickly determine the amount of skin surface (BSA) percentage of a burn, aka the TBSA, applied only to partial-thickness or full-thickness
Lund and Brower system
more accurate way of determining BSA by mapping the burned area on a chart that is appropriate for the patient’s age
rule of ones
aka rule of palms, a way to calculate BSA by comparing it to the patient’s palm surface area with the finger closed, which represents about 1% BSA
thermal burns
associated with heat applied to body, severity is related to exposure duration, temperature, and potential for inhalation injury
scalds
thermal burns caused by hot water, caused by contact with hot liquid, more severe burns from more viscous liquid due to longer contact time, can be child abuse
inhalation burns
high temperature air or steam that is inhaled, causes damage to the mucosa of upper airway, results in edema that could restrict airflow or lead to airway obstruction
chemical burns
produced by acids, alkalis, other heat-generating chemicals, severity depends on type of chemical, concentration, exposure duration
electrical burns
result from resistance to electrical current flow in the body, primarily internal, can result in cardiac arrest
radiation burns
from absorption of radiation into the body
