NCM 112: Burn Care and Management

Practice flashcards covering burn classifications, skin functions, hemodynamic shifts, and management stages based on NCM 112 lecture notes.

Superficial (1st Degree)

Burn that involves the epidermis only, characterized by erythema, intact skin, mild pain, and absence of blisters.

Deep Partial-Thickness (2nd Degree)

Burn involving the entire epidermis and varying depths of the dermis, characterized by fluid-filled blisters, mottled red/pink base, weeping wet appearance, and extreme pain.

Full-Thickness (3rd & 4th Degree)

Burn causing destruction of the entire epidermis, dermis, and underlying subcutaneous tissue; results in a white, brown, charcoaled, or leathery (eschar) appearance.

Aesthesia

A condition occurs in full-thickness burn cores where the area is painless because sensory nerves are destroyed.

Third-spacing

The rapid fluid and protein shift from the vascular compartment into the interstitial space during the hypovolemic phase of a burn injury.

Hemoconcentration

A key laboratory finding during the hypovolemic phase (onset to 48–72 hrs) characterized by high hematocrit levels.

Diuretic Phase

The stage occurring 48–72 hours post-injury where capillary integrity is restored, fluid shifts back into the intravascular space, and renal blood flow increases.

Rule of Nines

A system used to estimate Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) burned: Head & Neck (9%), Anterior Trunk (18%), Posterior Trunk (18%), each Arm (9%), each Leg (18%), and Perineum (1%).

Major Burn Definition

A burn involving $> 25 ext{%}$ TBSA partial-thickness or $> 10 ext{%}$ TBSA full-thickness.

Lactated Ringer's

The crystalloid of choice for fluid resuscitation in burn patients because its electrolyte composition closely resembles plasma.

Parkland Formula

The calculation for total 24-hour volume in fluid resuscitation: 4\text{ mL} \times \text{Weight (kg)} \times \text{\text{%} TBSA Burned}.

Parkland Formula Administration Timeline

Give 50% of calculated total volume in the first 8 hours (from time of injury), 25% in the next 8 hours, and 25% in the final 8 hours.

Adequate Fluid Resuscitation (Urine Output)

Clinical indicator defined by a urine output of $30\text{--}50\text{ mL/hr}$ in adults (or $0.5\text{--}1.0\text{ mL/kg/hr}$).

Mafenide Acetate (Sulfamylon)

A topical antimicrobial agent that penetrates thick eschar easily; side effects include metabolic acidosis and local pain.

Silver Sulfadiazine (Silvadene)

A broad-spectrum antibacterial topical agent that is easy and painless to apply, but may cause transient leukopenia.

Homograft (Allograft)

Temporary burn coverage using skin harvested from human cadavers.

Heterograft (Xenograft)

Temporary burn coverage using skin from animal sources, typically pig skin.

Autograft

Permanent coverage using the patient's own unburned donor skin.

Pressure Garments

Custom-fitted garments worn 23 hours/day for 12–24 months during the rehabilitation phase to prevent hypertrophic scars and contractures.

Inhalation Injury Indicators

Clinical signs such as sooty sputum, facial burns, singed nasal hair, and stridor.

Phase I: Emergent / Resuscitative Phase

The period (first 24–48 hours) focused on securing the airway, maintaining fluid volume, and mitigating hypovolemic shock.