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.
Similar Questions
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Important Questions from Medical-Surgical Nursing
In a patient with a normal temperature and pulse but low blood pressure, which clinical condition should be considered first?
When caring for a patient with hypocalcemia, which symptom should the nurse closely observe?
A patient with a peptic ulcer is prescribed a proton pump inhibitor and advised to avoid NSAIDs. Which rationale best explains this combined approach?
A post operative patient is receiving dextrose 5% and 0.45 normal saline at 160 ml/hour. The nurse notices puffiness, weight gain of 2 kg and hypotension with complaints of muscle cramps and confusion. The serum sodium level is 126 mEq/L. Which of the following is the most likely cause of these findings?
A nurse encounters four patients after a mass casualty event. Who should be given the highest triage priority?
