Terms in this set (33)
- Extinguish the flames - drop and roll; smoother the flames; standing victims breathe in fumes, and running victims fan the flames
- Disconnect the electrical source - don't compromise your safety
- Cool the burn - with H20, wet blankets, etc. to ensure the burning stops and to decrease pain. No ice!
- Remove restrictive objects - clothes, jewelry, etc. if possible.
- Cover the wound - with sterile bandages, or clean cloths. No ointment/salves! Covering wounds helps prevent hypothermia from skin loss, controls pain and helps prevent infection.
- Irrigate chemical wounds with H20, including eyes. Brush off dry chemicals,
What are the goals of treatment for Burns?
The goals of treatment are to control pain, remove dead tissue, prevent infection, reduce scarring risk and regain function. People with severe burns may require treatment at specialized burn centers.
What are the three phases of burn treatment?
The three three phases are emergent phase, intermediate phase, and rehabilitative phase. The emergent phase starts with the onset of burn injury and lasts until the completion of fluid resuscitation or a period of about the first 24 hours.
What are the principal components of burn therapy?
The principal components of burn therapy that characterize this period include the following: Continued passive ROM Increasing active ROM and strengthening Minimization of edema Training in activities of daily living (ADL) Initial scar management Preparation for work, play, or school
What are the nursing interventions for burn victims?
Nursing Interventions. Initiate patient and family education during burn management. Assess and consider preferred learning styles; assess ability to grasp and cope with the information; determine barriers to learning when planning and executing teaching. Remain sensitive to the possibility of changing family dynamics.
What are 5 ways to treat burns?
Run cool (not cold) water over the burned area and hold a cold compress on it until the pain lessens. Ice is not recommended. Cover it. Use a dry, sterile bandage or other dressing to shield the burned area from further harm.
What are the 5 most important factors to consider in severity of burns?
Severity of burn injury is determined by the depth of injury, extent of body surface injured, location of burn on the body, age of the patient, pre-burn medical history and circumstances or complicating factors (e.g., smoke inhalation, other traumatic injuries).
What are the basic treatment goals for the nutrition care of the burn patient?
The primary goal of nutritional support in burn patients is to fulfill the increased caloric requirements caused by the hypermetabolic state while avoiding overfeeding.
What is an important step for the treatment of burns?
Cool down the burn. After holding the burn under cool, running water, apply cool, wet compresses until the pain subsides. Remove tight items, such as rings, from the burned area. Be gentle, but move quickly before swelling starts.
What is rule of nines in burns?
The size of a burn can be quickly estimated by using the "rule of nines." This method divides the body's surface area into percentages. The front and back of the head and neck equal 9% of the body's surface area. The front and back of each arm and hand equal 9% of the body's surface area.
What is the solution of burn hazards?
Cover the burn with a clean, dry cloth to reduce the risk of infection. Do not put any salve or medicine on the burned area so your doctor can properly assess your burn. Do not put ice or butter on the burned area because these measures do not help and can damage the skin tissue.
What is the most important requirement for a burn patient?
The major energy source for burn patients should be carbohydrates which serve as fuel for wound healing, provide glucose for metabolic pathways, and spare the amino acids needed for catabolic burn patients.
Why is nutrition important for burn patients?
When healing from burns, it's very important that you do you everything you can to get proper nutrition. An adequate diet can reduce the damaging loss of lean body mass, stored energy, and protein. Without proper nutrition, you may slow the healing process, lose too much weight, and suppress your immune system.
What is the Parkland formula for burns?
The widely quoted Baxter (Parkland) formula for initial fluid resuscitation of burn victims is 4 mL of Ringer's lactate per kilogram of body weight per %TBSA burned, one half to be given during the first 8 hours after injury and the rest in the next 16 hours.
How do nurses treat burns?
Wash the area gently and thoroughly with mild soap and water. Use a small amount of antibiotic ointment and a nonstick dressing and allow the wound to heal. If the surrounding area becomes red and warm, you might have an infection. Contact your health care provider for further evaluation.
Why is the rule of nines important?
Why Is the Rule of Nines Helpful? The rule of nines gives an idea of how much of your total body's surface area a burn takes up. This informs treatments based on the size and intensity of the burn injury. Emergency medical responders are some of the medical workers who use the rule of nines most.
Which is the first step you should take in caring for a thermal burn?
For First-Degree Burns (Affecting Top Layer of Skin)Cool Burn. Hold burned skin under cool (not cold) running water or immerse in cool water until the pain subsides. Use compresses if running water isn't available.Protect Burn. Cover with sterile, non-adhesive bandage or clean cloth.
Why is it important to rehab burn patients?
Because so many functions and systems of the body can be affected by severe burns, the need for rehabilitation becomes even more crucial. Many hospitals have a specialized burn unit or center and some facilities are designated solely for the rehabilitation of burn patients.
How long does a burn rehab last?
The burn rehabilitation program. Burn rehabilitation begins during the acute treatment phase and may last days to months to years, depending on the extent of the burn. Rehabilitation is designed to meet each patient's specific needs; therefore, each program is different.
What is the ultimate goal of burn care?
The ultimate goal of all burn care is reintegration of the patient into society, and it is important not to lose sight of this goal. PTSD is common in burn patients, so be vigilant of symptoms (eg, hyperalertness, nightmares, chronic fearfulness). Ignoring this problem compromises recovery.
What are the phases of burn care?
Modern burn care may be divided into the following 4 general phases: 1 First phase - Initial evaluation and resuscitation; occurs on days 1-3 and requires an accurate fluid resuscitation and thorough evaluation for other injuries and comorbid conditions 2 Second phase - Initial wound excision and biologic closure; includes the maneuver that changes the natural history of the disease; this is accomplished typically by a series of staged operations that are completed during the first few days after injury 3 Third phase - Definitive wound closure; involves replacement of temporary wound covers with a definitive cover; there is also closure and acute reconstruction of areas with small surface area but high complexity, such as the face and hands. 4 Fourth phase - Rehabilitation, reconstruction, and reintegration; although this begins during the resuscitation period, it becomes time consuming and involved toward the end of the acute hospital stay
What is the role of burn therapist?
Burn therapists play a central role in planning and performing reconstructive procedures in the months and years after acute discharge. They help to identify needed operations, plan sequencing of operations, and educate patients and families about perioperative care.
What is the role of occupational therapists in burn care?
Physical and occupational therapists play essential roles in the acute treatment of all burn patients, including critically ill patients and even during the resuscitation of patients with large injuries.
What is burn rehabilitation?
Burn rehabilitation is an undeniably difficult and time consuming effort that, to attain the objective of optimal long-term function, must begin at the outset of burn care. Treatment goals and strategies vary, depending on the patient's injury, stage of treatment, age, and comorbidities. Goals range from minimizing loss of range of motion (ROM) in the critically ill patient to establishing a work-hardening program in recovered patients. See the image below.
Do you have to visit a burn unit before discharge?
The realities of distance, transportation, and managed care often cause patients to work with inexperienced therapists. Therapists should visit the burn unit prior to the patient's discharge, videotape therapy sessions (with the patient's written permission), and maintain frequent telephone contact.
Is burn rehab time consuming?
As previously stated, burn rehabilitation is undeniably difficult and time consuming, but the time spent on outlining short-term and long-term treatment goals and modalities is worthwhile. Realistic therapeutic goals, as well as an appropriate plan of care, should be devised by the treatment team, including the patient and family.
What is burn management?
Burn management is typically based on the severity of the wound, and the goals are to prevent shock, relieve pain and discomfort, and reduce the risk of infection. 1 Pathogens are present everywhere, and any breach in the skin, especially burns, can lead to infection. When burns cover up to 35% in adults and 30% in children, ...
What is the final phase of burn care?
The final phase of burn care is the long road to rehabilitation and reconstruction, and it begins as soon as the burn occurs and proceeds with establishing and adhering to a plan of care focused on a positive outcome.
What should dressings be for burns?
Dressing Considerations. Dressing choice for a burn injury should be based on prime objectives that support wound healing. First, the dressing should protect and maintain an optimal environment reducing the risk of colonization and infection. Second, dressings should maintain an optimal moisture level.
How to reduce inflammation in the body?
To reduce inflammation, elevate the affected body part above the level of the heart. Any clamminess of hands or feet, weakness, increased pulse, rapid breathing, low blood pressure, or paleness of skin may indicate shock.
Why should you not apply ice to a burned area?
Ice should not be applied to the affected area because of the risk of further tissue damage and hypothermia. No ointments, butter, or oil-based products should be applied to the burned area as these can trap heat in affected areas and allow further tissue damage.
What to do if you have a burn on your toe?
For burned toes or fingers, separate with non-adhesive dressing material. To reduce inflammation, elevate the affected body part above the level of the heart.
How much of a burn is considered a major burn?
When burns cover up to 35% in adults and 30% in children , they are considered major burns, and anything above those levels is considered critical or life-threatening. 2 A thorough assessment of the patient and burn site is necessary to determine the most appropriate treatment interventions given the type and severity of the burn injury.
What should be instructed in burn wound care?
The patient and caregivers should be instructed in burn wound care and range-of-motion exercises and provided with oral and written instructions, with demonstrations if possible. Also, pain management, signs and symptoms of infection, and information about wound healing, scar formation and maturation, and expected outcomes should be discussed ( Table 2 ).
What is the purpose of a burn wound dressing?
The burn wound dressing should keep the wound moist and clean, promote optimal function of affected joints, protect the wound from additional trauma, and provide for patient comfort. There are quite a variety of dressing types available to treat burn wounds on an outpatient basis, and there are several ways to accomplish the goals above. They vary widely in complexity and cost. In the primary care environment, simple and inexpensive will work best for the patient and the provider. 3,5,9
How to stop a burn from swelling?
After holding the burn under cool, running water, apply cool, wet compresses until the pain subsides. Remove tight items, such as rings, from the burned area. Be gentle, but move quickly before swelling starts. Avoid breaking blisters. Blisters with fluid protect the area from infection.
How to treat a blister on the back of your hand?
If a blister breaks, clean the area and gently apply an antibiotic ointment. Apply a moisturizing lotion, such as one with aloe vera. After the burned area has been cooled, apply a lo tion to provide relief and to keep the area from drying out. Loosely bandage the burn. Use sterile gauze .
What to do if you have a burn on your hand?
If hands and feet are burned, separate the fingers and toes with dry and sterile, nonadhesive bandages. Remove clothing from burned areas, but don’t try to remove clothing that’s stuck to the skin. Avoid immersing the person or burned body parts in water. Hypothermia (severe loss of body heat) can occur if you immerse large, severe burns in water. ...
How to get rid of a burn on your body?
If it’s an electrical burn, turn off the power source before touching them. Check to see if they’re breathing. If needed, start rescue breathing if you’ve been trained. Remove restrictive items from their body, such as belts and jewelry in or near the burned areas.
How to treat a burn?
The first step in treating a major burn is to call 911 or seek emergency medical care. Steps to take until emergency arrives include: Make sure you and the person who’s burned are safe and out of harm’s way. Move them away from the source of the burn. If it’s an electrical burn, turn off the power source before touching them.
How to avoid a burn?
Avoid immersing the person or burned body parts in water. Hypothermia (severe loss of body heat) can occur if you immerse large, severe burns in water. Raise the burned area. If possible, elevate the burned area above their heart. Watch for shock.
What is tissue damage from contact with?
A burn is tissue damage from contact with: flames. very hot water (scalding) corrosive chemicals. electricity. radiation (including sunburn) The first step in treating a burn injury is determining whether the burn is a minor or major one. That determination will direct action and treatment.
Diagnosis
- If you go to a doctor for burn treatment, he or she will assess the severity of your burn by examining your skin. He or she may recommend that you be transferred to a burn center if your burn covers more than 10 percent of your total body surface area, is very deep, is on the face, fe…
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- To treat minor burns, follow these steps: 1. Cool the burn.Hold the burned area under cool (not cold) running water or apply a cool, wet compress until the pain eases. Don't use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause further damage to the tissue. 2. Remove rings or other tight items.Try to do this quickly and gently, before the burned area swells. 3. Don't break blisters.Fluid-filled bli…
Coping and Support
- Coping with a serious burn injury can be a challenge, especially if it covers large areas of your body or is in places readily seen by other people, such as your face or hands. Potential scarring, reduced mobility and possible surgeries add to the burden. Consider joining a support group of other people who have had serious burns and know what you're going through. You may find co…
Preparing For Your Appointment
- Seek emergency medical care for burns that are deep or involve your hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, a major joint or a large area of the body. Your emergency room physician may recommend examination by a skin specialist (dermatologist), burn specialist, surgeon or other specialist. For other burns, you may need an appointment with your family doctor. The informati…