Question

A 16-year-old male is admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after being involved in a house fire. He has full thickness burns to his lower torso and extremities. Before a dressing change to his legs, which intervention is most important for the nurse to implement?

Answer 1

Prior to changing the dressings on a patient with severe burns, pain management is the most important intervention to implement. Adequate hydration and vigilant monitoring for infection are also critical parts of patient care. Leukocytosis in burn patients is an anticipated finding reflecting the body's reaction to injury and potential infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

Before a dressing change to a patient's legs who has full thickness burns to his lower torso and extremities, the most important intervention for the nurse to implement is pain management. Burn wound dressings can be extremely painful, so adequate analgesia should be administered prior to the procedure.

Moreover, burn injuries increase the risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and infection, given the loss of skin's protection. Therefore, ensuring the patient is hydrated and monitoring for signs of infection are also key components of care.

In cases of severe burns, like the one described, blood tests may reveal leukocytosis, a higher than normal white blood cell count, which is an expected finding due to the body's response to the tissue damage and possible infection.