Question

A 5-year-old boy was burned when he pulled a barbecue grill over on himself. He has partial- and full-thickness burns to his anterior chest and circumferentially on both arms. What percentage of his body surface area has been burned?

A. 18%
B. 27%
C. 36%
D. 45%

Answer 1

Using the 'rule of nines', the estimated percentage of body surface area burned in the 5-year-old boy with burns to his anterior chest and both arms is calculated to be 36%.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing the percentage of body surface area burned in patients, healthcare professionals commonly use the "rule of nines." This rule helps to estimate the extent of burns by dividing the body into regions that are each approximately 9% of the total body surface area or multiples thereof. In the case of the 5-year-old boy with burns to his anterior chest and both arms, we would calculate as follows:

• The anterior chest (including the abdomen) counts for roughly 18% in an adult, but in children, the head and neck region is proportionally larger and the legs are proportionally smaller. The anterior chest might be slightly less in a child, for simplicity we will consider it 18%.
• Each arm (including the hands) accounts for 9% in adults, but since the proportions are different for a child, and as the child has circumferential burns on both arms, we will retain the 9% value per arm giving us 18% total for both arms.

Add the chest and arm percentages, 18% (chest) + 18% (arms) to get a total of 36%. Therefore, the correct answer is C. 36%.