Victims of a house fire are being admitted through the emergency department. Of the patients, the nurse realizes that which of the following will have the greatest risk for mortality from the burn injuries?
1. 75-year-old female with arthritis
2. 50-year-old male with no chronic illnesses
3. 49-year-old female with carpal tunnel syndrome
4. 25-year-old female with tennis elbow
1
Rationale: Children and people with advancing age are most prone to burn injuries. People with advancing age have impaired senses and reaction times, and tend to incorrectly assess risk. They have thinner skin, with decreased microcirculation and an increased susceptibility to infection. All of these factors not only put them at a greater risk for burn injuries but also lead to a greater morbidity and mortality. Because of this, the patient being admitted from the house fire with the greatest risk for mortality from the burn injuries would be the 75-year-old female with arthritis.
You might also like to view...
A patient is depressed about the changes in her personal appearance related to Cushing's disease. She is particularly likely to exhibit which change?
a. Weight gain, moonface, and increased facial hair b. Hand tremors and nervousness c. Retracted eyelids and increased skin pigmentation d. Muscle atrophy, bruising, and weight loss
The nurse is conducting a lecture on the difference between hypovolemia and dehydration. When completing a verbal comparison, which point needs clarified?
A) Similar causes are present in both conditions. B) Hypovolemia contains only low blood volume. C) In dehydration, only extracellular is depleted. D) Both conditions result in abnormal laboratory studies.
An hour after a patient has a thoracentesis, the patient's oxygen saturation is 88, and respiratory rate is 34 . What actions by the nurse are priorities?
a. Raise the head of the bed and call the nursing supervisor. b. Give oxygen to the patient and notify the physician. c. Look at the chest excursion and notify respiratory therapy. d. Open a chest tube insertion kit and notify the patient's family.
It is recommended that herbal supplements not be taken during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Why is that recommendation made?
A) They have the potential of crossing the placental barrier. B) They can create nutritional deficiencies in the mother and fetus. C) They are known to cause teratogenic effects in the fetus. D) They have been proven to cause early labor.