Week 9 - Burns Flashcards
What is the ABCDE emergency management of sever burns?
Airway – c-spine
Breathing – 100% O2
Circulation – hemorrhage control and IV access
Disability – AVPU & Pupils
Exposure – environmental control and estimate TBSA
*Fluids, Analgesia, Tests, Tubes
Who is at higher risk for burns?
- The very young (children 4 and under)
- The very old (65+)
- The very careless
- African Americans & Native Americans
- The poor
- Rural Americans
- People living in substandard housing
What are the functions of the skin?
- Protects underlying tissues from injury
- Assists with temperature regulation
- Acts as a water seal, keeping body fluids inside the body
- Sensing organ
What does perforation, burns, and other injuries to the skin lead to?
Infection
Inability to maintain fluid and electrolyte homeostasis
Inability to maintain normal body temp
What are the layer of the skin?
Epidermis (outer layer)
- outer most layer is made up of dead skin cells
- underneath layers seal and protect the body
Dermis (layer below the epidermis)
*only the EPIDERMIS can regenerate
What are the different classifications of thermal (heat) burns?
Depth: superficial vs partial thickness (superficial or deep) vs full
Degree: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
What are the signs and symptoms of a superficial 1st degree burn?
- Erythema
- Pain at the site
- Only involves epidermis
- No blisters
- Heals in 3-6 days
*Sunburn
What are the signs and symptoms of a partial thickness 2nd degree burn?
- Entire epidermal layer is burned
- Some of the dermis may be involved
- Mottled, red, painful blisters
- Heals in 10-21 days
- Epithelium will still regenerate
*BAD sunburn
What are the signs and symptoms of a full thickness 3rd degree burn?
- Epidermis and dermis destroyed
- Burns into the subQ and fat
- Skin is charred, leathery & woody
- NOT painful (nerve endings burned
What are the signs and symptoms of a full thickness 4th degree burn?
- Extend into the muscle, bones, and tendons
- Black and dry
- No Pain
- Eschar forming/formed
- Frequently involves amputation
What is the rule of nines for the adult?
Head = 9% Each arm = 9% Torso = 18% Back = 18% Each leg = 18% Genitalia = 1%
What is the rule of nines for a child?
Head = 18% Each arm = 9% Torso = 18% Back = 18% Each leg = 14%
What is an electrical burn?
Electricity flows from an area of high to low concentration through a conducting material
- the body is the conducting material
- the duration of contact determines the extent of the burn
- the width of the current pathway determines damage
- the tissue through which it passes determines the damage
*nerve damage can develop/worsen over years
What cardiovascular issues occur with electrical burns?
- V-fib
- Aystole
- Conduction abnormalities
- Trauma to cardiac muscle
*survivors have long-term arrhythmias, sinus tachy, PVCs
What respiratory issues occur with electrical burns?
- Tetanic contraction of the chest wall muscles may cause respiratory arrest
- Injury to the cerebral respiratory control centers may cause respiratory arrest
- Lungs usually don’t conduct well so they do OK
What neurological issues occur with electrical burns?
- Spinal fractures and other CNS injuries due to blunt force from secondary falls, etc
- Transient confusion, amnesia, confusion, lack of recall
- Long-term may include seizures, nerve damage, psych issues
What musculoskeletal issues occur with electrical burns?
- Fractures from blunt trauma and falls secondary to being burned
- Compartment syndrome from burns
- Massive muscle damage may cause Rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure
What head issues occur with electrical burns?
Entry point for electricity
- Facial burns
- Tympanic membrane rupture
- C-spine injuries
- Cataracts ~6% of electrical burn pts
What type of injuries does acid chemical burns cause? Basic chemical burns?
Acids produce a coagulation necrosis by denaturing proteins
-forms eschar which then limits the depth of acid penetration
Basic chemicals produce liquefaction necrosis – more severe
*chemical burns damage continues until the substance is removed (washed vigorously) or neutralized
What is the main cause of death in burn patients?
Inhalation Injuries
- secondary to airway constriction (Hagen Poiseuille law)
- inhalation injuries are usually limited to the upper airways
When do lower airway inhalation injuries occur?
Overwhelming heat exposure
Inhalation of steam
Aspiration of hot liquids
How do you predict patient survival after a major burn?
Baux Score: age + TBSA or age + TBSA + 17 with inhalational burn
- burn size >40% relative risk increases by 12
- age >50 RR 7.3
- inhalation injury RR 3.6
- male RR 1.8
When should you be concerned the patient might have an inhalation burn injury?
- Fire in a closed space
- Burn pt was entrapped
- Pt is unconscious or other neurologic altered LOC
- Facial burns
- Perioral burns, singed nose hair, carbonaceous sooty sputum
- Respiratory compromise or dropping SaO2 readings
What do inhalation burn injuries cause?
- Mucociliary impairment which leads to respiratory infections
- Mucus hypersecretion
- Bronchitis, laryngitis, and pneumonia
- Epithelial sloughing in airways
- Surfactant inactivation due to biochemical alterations
- Increased pulmonary vascular permeability (ARDS)
- Airway obstruction (large early and small later)
- Carbon monoxide poisoning