Final answer:
The correct answer is d) 36%, calculated using the rule of nines, which attributes 9% to the head, 9% to the anterior chest, and 18% for both upper extremities in a child with burns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rule of nines is commonly used to estimate the percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) that has been burned. For a 5-year-old child with partial-thickness burns to the head, anterior chest, and both upper extremities, the estimated TBSA burned would be as follows: 9% for the head, 9% for the anterior chest (half of the chest which is 18% in total), and 9% for each upper extremity (4.5% for the anterior and 4.5% for the posterior of each arm), giving a total of 18% for both arms. Adding these percentages together, 9% (head) + 9% (anterior chest) + 18% (both upper extremities) equals 36% TBSA burned.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is d) 36%.