Question

A patient is being seen in the office following an explosion at his worksite. He does not want to go to the hospital but has significant facial and neck burns. What should the first assessment be of this patient?

a. Rule out airway and breathing compromise
b. Rule out cartilage damage
c. Rule out inhalation damage
d. Rule out the percentage of body that was burned

Answer 1

The first assessment of a patient with facial and neck burns should be to rule out airway and breathing compromise, following the ABC protocol. Ensuring the airway is not compromised is the immediate priority, with other assessments following sequentially.

Step-by-step explanation:

The first assessment of a patient with significant facial and neck burns following an explosion should be to rule out airway and breathing compromise. This priority is in line with the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) protocol for emergency medical care. Airway patency and adequate ventilation are critical, as burns in these areas can quickly lead to life-threatening swelling and obstruction. While determining the percentage of the body burned is also important for overall management of burn victims, ensuring that the patient's airway is not compromised is the immediate priority. Leukocytosis found in a blood test of a burn patient is an expected finding as it indicates an inflammatory response to the tissue damage caused by burns. Assessing inhalation damage and cartilage damage would follow the initial airway and breathing assessment, and prior to assessing the total burn percentage.