Final answer:
False, the rule of 9's is specifically utilized for burn assessment and not for skin infections. Instead, infections are evaluated based on the visible extent, pathogen type, and symptoms, with treatment plans based on rapidity of disease progression and depth of affected tissues.
Step-by-step explanation:
False. The rule of 9's is used specifically to assess the total body surface area affected by burns, not by skin infections. The rule helps to estimate the extent of burned skin by attributing percentage values to different body parts to aid in the determination of treatment. However, skin infections, like burns, can vary widely in severity, but the assessment of the affected area due to infection would not typically use the rule of 9's. Instead, skin infections are assessed by the visible extent of the infection on the skin, the type of pathogen causing the infection, and the symptoms presented by the patient, such as redness, swelling, heat, pus, and tenderness.
In clinical scenarios such as severe infections like necrotizing fasciitis, which are rapidly spreading and can be life-threatening, the treatment plan is based on the rapidity of disease progress, the depth and area of the affected tissues, and systemic signs of infection, rather than a surface area percentage estimate as is done with burns.
It is important to consider that pathogens can enter the body through areas not covered by skin and as such, the body requires multiple layers of barriers to prevent infection. However, this is a separate consideration from the method used to assess the extent of skin infection.