A client suffered what seems to be a moderate electrical burn from contact with household electricity. However, the physician wants to admit the client for monitoring. When questioned about this decision, the best answer by the nurse is

Question

a. "I am not sure but I can find out for you."
b. "It is our protocol that all electrical burns get admitted."
c. "With household current, there is great risk of cardiac rhythm problems."
d. "You need to be watched for fractures that can occur under normal use."

Answer 1

C
Household current is AC (alternating current) and is associated with cardiopulmonary arrest, ventricular fibrillation, tetanic muscle contractions, and long bone or vertebral compression fractures. Clients with electrical burns are considered to have a major burn injury and need admission to monitor for the development of dysrhythmias. If the nurse does not know the answer to a client's question, option a is a good answer. Option b is not the best because it does not give the client appropriate information and also refers to the client as an "electrical burn" instead of a client with an electrical burn. The fractures that occur with electrical burns occur during the electrocution process, not later in the course of recovery.