Author Question: A patient with extensive electrical burn injuries is admitted to the emergency department. Which ... (Read 152 times)

roselinechinyere27m · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

A patient with extensive electrical burn injuries is admitted to the emergency department. Which prescribed intervention should the nurse implement first?

a. Assess oral temperature.
b. Check a potassium level.
c. Place on cardiac monitor.
d. Assess for pain at contact points.

Question 2

A patient has just arrived in the emergency department after an electrical burn from exposure to a high-voltage current. What is the priority nursing assessment?

a. Oral temperature
b. Peripheral pulses
c. Extremity movement
d. Pupil reaction to light

quynhmickitran · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
After an electrical burn, the patient is at risk for fatal dysrhythmias and should be placed on a cardiac monitor. Assessing the oral temperature is not as important as assessing for cardiac dysrhythmias. Checking the potassium level is important. However, it will take time before the laboratory results are back. The first intervention is to place the patient on a cardiac monitor and assess for dysrhythmias, so that they can be treated if occurring. A decreased or increased potassium level will alert the nurse to the possibility of dysrhythmias. The cardiac monitor will alert the nurse immediately of any dysrhythmias. Assessing for pain is important, but the patient can endure pain until the cardiac monitor is attached. Cardiac dysrhythmias can be lethal.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
All patients with electrical burns should be considered at risk for cervical spine injury, and assessments of extremity movement will provide baseline data. The other assessment data are also necessary but not as essential as determining the cervical spine status.