A patient arrives with severe burns. After ensuring a patent airway, what is the next step in the emergency management?
Initiate fluid resuscitation
Initial burn care follows the ABC approach: airway first, then breathing and circulation.
Severe burns cause massive fluid shift from the vessels into tissues (burn shock), so once the airway is secured the next priority is to start intravenous fluid resuscitation, usually with Ringer’s lactate guided by the Parkland formula (4 ml × kg × %TBSA in 24 hours).
Covering burns, pain relief and other measures follow; prophylactic broad-spectrum antibiotics are not routinely given in the emergency phase.
Hence, Initiate fluid resuscitation.
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Important Questions from Medical-Surgical Nursing
Which nursing intervention is most appropriate when caring for a patient experiencing an anaphylactic reaction?
A patient has just returned to the ward after abdominal surgery. Which action should the nurse take first to evaluate the effectiveness of respiratory interventions in the immediate postoperative period?
A nurse is monitoring a patient with a colostomy. Which observation requires immediate attention?
Which solution is commonly used for fluid replacement in burn patients?
In a patient with a normal temperature and pulse but low blood pressure, which clinical condition should be considered first?
