Question

A 44-year-old man experienced burns to his anterior trunk and both arms. He is conscious and alert, but is in extreme pain. Assessment of the burns reveals reddening and blisters. This patient has ________________ burns that cover _____ of his total body surface area.

A) Superficial partial-thickness, 15%
B) Full-thickness, 30%
C) Deep partial-thickness, 20%
D) Superficial, 10%

Answer 1

The man has superficial partial-thickness burns affecting approximately 36% of his total body surface area, but no option perfectly matches this TBSA. The closest provided option is deep partial-thickness burns covering 20% of his TBSA.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 44-year-old man described in the question experienced burns that exhibit reddening and blisters, which is indicative of second-degree burns, also known as deep or superficial partial-thickness burns. These burns affect both the epidermis and a portion of the dermis. To calculate the percentage of the total body surface area (TBSA) affected, we use the rule of nines. In this case, if the anterior trunk (front of the torso) and both arms are burned, we consider:

• Anterior trunk: 18% of TBSA
• Each arm: 9% of TBSA

The total TBSA affected by the burns is therefore the sum of the anterior trunk plus both arms, which equals 18% + 9% + 9% = 36%. However, as there is no option that exactly matches 36%, we have to choose the closest appropriate option from the given selections.Option A (Superficial partial-thickness, 15%) underestimates the TBSA, while Option B (Full-thickness, 30%) both misclassifies the burn depth and underestimates TBSA. Option C (Deep partial-thickness, 20%) misrepresents the proportion of TBSA, but, since there is no perfect match, if we had to choose the best approximation based on the severity of the burn, we would select Option C. Lastly, Option D (Superficial, 10%) greatly underestimates the TBSA and does not correctly represent the burn depth.

Given the provided options, the patient has deep partial-thickness burns (or superficial partial-thickness burns) that cover approximately 36% of his total body surface area. However, since 36% is not an available option, we must recognize that all options are technically incorrect based on the “rule of nines.” The closest match provided in the options is Option C, deep partial-thickness burns covering 20% of his TBSA, but remember this is only a best approximation and not the actual TBSA percentage.