NUR 4323 EXAM NOTES MDC4 FINAL EXAM NOTES
Exam Notes MDC4 Final
Parkland Formula
a) 4ml x % BSA x weight (kg)= volume of fluid that needs to be infused
b) ½ of the total volume of fluid in first 8 hours
c) Last half in 16 hours
MAP Calculation
a) MAP= 1/3 * SBP + 2/3 * DBP
Treatment for frostbite
a) Rewarming the skin
a. Rewarm the area using a warm-water bath for 15 to 30 minutes
b. Skin may turn soft and look red or purple
c. You may be encouraged to gently move the affected area as it rewarms.
b) Oral pain medicine
a. The rewarming process can be painful
c) Protecting the injury
a. Once the skin thaws, loosely wrap the area with sterile sheets, towels, or dressing to
protect the skin.
b. May have to protect fingers and toes as they thaw by gently separating them from
each other
c. You may need to elevate the affected area to reduce swelling
d) Debridement (removal of damaged tissue)
a. To heal properly, frostbitten skin needs to be free of damaged, dead or infected
tissue.
e) Whirlpool therapy or physical therapy
a. Hydrotherapy can aid healing by keeping skin clean and naturally removing dead
tissue
b. Pt may be encouraged to move the affected area
f) Antibiotics
a. If the skin or blisters appear to be infected, the doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics
g) TPA
a. IV injection of a drug that helps restore blood flow (thrombolytic) such as TPA.
b. TPA lowers the risk of amputation
c. These drugs can cause serious bleeding and are typically used only in the most
serious situations and within 24 hours of exposure.
h) Wound care
i) Surgery
a. Severe frostbite patients may need surgery or amputation to remove dead or
decaying tissue.
j) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
a. Some patients show improved symptoms after this therapy, but more study is
needed.
,Treatment and differences of heat stroke and heat exhaustion
a) Heat exhaustion
a. Symptoms
i. General weakness, increased heavy sweating, a weak but faster HR, N/V,
possible fainting, pale/cold/clammy skin
b. Treatment
i. Stop physical activity, transfer to cool space
ii. Cooling measures (ice water bath, mist skin with water, ice packs, special
cooling blanket)
iii. Rehydration therapy
b) Heat stroke
a. Symptoms
i. Elevated body temperature above 103 F (39.4 C), rapid and strong HR, loss
or change of consciousness, hot, red, dry, or moist skin
b. Treatment
i. Oxygen therapy, IV lines, urinary catheter, continuous cooling (Ice bath, mist
skin with water, ice packs, special cooling blanket), benzodiazepine if
shivering occurs, monitor for multi system organ dysfunction syndrome and
electrolyte imbalances.
Priority assessment in triage
a) ABC’s
Temperature reduction strategies
a) Ice bath, mist skin with water, ice packs, special cooling blanket
Skin injury related to frostbite
a) Frostbite occurs in several stages:
a. Frostnip
i. Mild form of frostbite- does not permanently damage the skin
ii. Continued exposure leads to numbness in the affected area
iii. As the skin warms, the patient may feel pain and tingling.
b. Superficial Frostbite
i. Appears as reddened skin that turns white or pale
ii. The skin may begin to feel warm- a sign of serious skin involvement
iii. If you treat frostbite with rewarming at this stage, the surface of skin may
appear mottled and you may notice stinging, burning, and swelling
iv. Fluid-filled blisters may appear 12 to 36 hours after rewarming the skin
c. Deep (Severe) Frostbite
i. Skin turns white or bluish grey, and the patient may experience numbness,
losing all sensation of cold, pain, or discomfort in the affected area.
ii. Joints/muscles may no longer work
, iii. Large blisters form 24-48 hours after rewarming. Afterwards, the area turns
black and hard as the tissue dies.
Rationale for arrythmias in hypothermia
a) The risk of cardiac arrest increases as the core temperature drops below 32°C, and increases
substantially if the temperature reaches less than 28°C (Brown et al. 2012). At this level, a
severe depression of critical body functions occurs
Blunt chest injury assessment
a) Primary assessment treatments
a. Based on the mechanism of injury, consider manual stabilization of the cervical spine
until a more complete spinal exam can be accomplished. Establish and maintain a
patent airway while determining the patient's level of consciousness using the AVPU
scale. If the patient is not fully awake or alert, manual airway positioning and basic
airway adjuncts such as an OPA or NPA may be needed. Suctioning an airway filled
with blood or emesis may be necessary.
b) Seal chest wounds
a. Any open chest wound should be sealed as soon as it is found, using the palm of a
gloved hand at first, followed by an occlusive dressing.
c) Relieve tension pneumothorax
a. Tachypnea, hypopnea (shallow breathing) and accessory muscle use are key
indicators of respiratory distress or failure. Expose the chest and auscultate lung
fields immediately. Diminished sounds over one side may indicate a loss of lung
capacity, either from a hemothorax, pneumothorax or both.
b. Inspect the neck and chest area. Jugular venous distension may indicate greater than
normal pressure within the chest cavity, possibly related to a developing tension
pneumothorax. Hyperinflation of the chest over one side is another sign related to a
tension pneumothorax. If the patient's mental status worsens and blood pressure
falls, a decompression of the tension pneumothorax using a long, large gauge
angiocatheter is needed to relieve the excessive pressure in the chest.
d) Control hemorrhage
a. Control any major external bleeding immediately with direct pressure. It will be
difficult to create a pressure dressing, as is more commonly seen with extremity
injuries. Manual pressure may be needed to stop the bleeding. Recognize that the
chance of active bleeding inside the chest is significant and emergent transport to a
trauma center is needed.
e) Package for transport
a. Unless there are clear signs of neurological deficit, avoid placing the patient with
penetrating chest trauma in spinal precautions. Being supine may worsen respiratory
distress and delay transport.
b. In general, on-scene management of chest trauma should be done with BLS
interventions, with the intent to begin transport to a trauma center as soon as
feasible. With the exception of the needle decompression, other advanced level
procedures are best done while en route.
Exam Notes MDC4 Final
Parkland Formula
a) 4ml x % BSA x weight (kg)= volume of fluid that needs to be infused
b) ½ of the total volume of fluid in first 8 hours
c) Last half in 16 hours
MAP Calculation
a) MAP= 1/3 * SBP + 2/3 * DBP
Treatment for frostbite
a) Rewarming the skin
a. Rewarm the area using a warm-water bath for 15 to 30 minutes
b. Skin may turn soft and look red or purple
c. You may be encouraged to gently move the affected area as it rewarms.
b) Oral pain medicine
a. The rewarming process can be painful
c) Protecting the injury
a. Once the skin thaws, loosely wrap the area with sterile sheets, towels, or dressing to
protect the skin.
b. May have to protect fingers and toes as they thaw by gently separating them from
each other
c. You may need to elevate the affected area to reduce swelling
d) Debridement (removal of damaged tissue)
a. To heal properly, frostbitten skin needs to be free of damaged, dead or infected
tissue.
e) Whirlpool therapy or physical therapy
a. Hydrotherapy can aid healing by keeping skin clean and naturally removing dead
tissue
b. Pt may be encouraged to move the affected area
f) Antibiotics
a. If the skin or blisters appear to be infected, the doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics
g) TPA
a. IV injection of a drug that helps restore blood flow (thrombolytic) such as TPA.
b. TPA lowers the risk of amputation
c. These drugs can cause serious bleeding and are typically used only in the most
serious situations and within 24 hours of exposure.
h) Wound care
i) Surgery
a. Severe frostbite patients may need surgery or amputation to remove dead or
decaying tissue.
j) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
a. Some patients show improved symptoms after this therapy, but more study is
needed.
,Treatment and differences of heat stroke and heat exhaustion
a) Heat exhaustion
a. Symptoms
i. General weakness, increased heavy sweating, a weak but faster HR, N/V,
possible fainting, pale/cold/clammy skin
b. Treatment
i. Stop physical activity, transfer to cool space
ii. Cooling measures (ice water bath, mist skin with water, ice packs, special
cooling blanket)
iii. Rehydration therapy
b) Heat stroke
a. Symptoms
i. Elevated body temperature above 103 F (39.4 C), rapid and strong HR, loss
or change of consciousness, hot, red, dry, or moist skin
b. Treatment
i. Oxygen therapy, IV lines, urinary catheter, continuous cooling (Ice bath, mist
skin with water, ice packs, special cooling blanket), benzodiazepine if
shivering occurs, monitor for multi system organ dysfunction syndrome and
electrolyte imbalances.
Priority assessment in triage
a) ABC’s
Temperature reduction strategies
a) Ice bath, mist skin with water, ice packs, special cooling blanket
Skin injury related to frostbite
a) Frostbite occurs in several stages:
a. Frostnip
i. Mild form of frostbite- does not permanently damage the skin
ii. Continued exposure leads to numbness in the affected area
iii. As the skin warms, the patient may feel pain and tingling.
b. Superficial Frostbite
i. Appears as reddened skin that turns white or pale
ii. The skin may begin to feel warm- a sign of serious skin involvement
iii. If you treat frostbite with rewarming at this stage, the surface of skin may
appear mottled and you may notice stinging, burning, and swelling
iv. Fluid-filled blisters may appear 12 to 36 hours after rewarming the skin
c. Deep (Severe) Frostbite
i. Skin turns white or bluish grey, and the patient may experience numbness,
losing all sensation of cold, pain, or discomfort in the affected area.
ii. Joints/muscles may no longer work
, iii. Large blisters form 24-48 hours after rewarming. Afterwards, the area turns
black and hard as the tissue dies.
Rationale for arrythmias in hypothermia
a) The risk of cardiac arrest increases as the core temperature drops below 32°C, and increases
substantially if the temperature reaches less than 28°C (Brown et al. 2012). At this level, a
severe depression of critical body functions occurs
Blunt chest injury assessment
a) Primary assessment treatments
a. Based on the mechanism of injury, consider manual stabilization of the cervical spine
until a more complete spinal exam can be accomplished. Establish and maintain a
patent airway while determining the patient's level of consciousness using the AVPU
scale. If the patient is not fully awake or alert, manual airway positioning and basic
airway adjuncts such as an OPA or NPA may be needed. Suctioning an airway filled
with blood or emesis may be necessary.
b) Seal chest wounds
a. Any open chest wound should be sealed as soon as it is found, using the palm of a
gloved hand at first, followed by an occlusive dressing.
c) Relieve tension pneumothorax
a. Tachypnea, hypopnea (shallow breathing) and accessory muscle use are key
indicators of respiratory distress or failure. Expose the chest and auscultate lung
fields immediately. Diminished sounds over one side may indicate a loss of lung
capacity, either from a hemothorax, pneumothorax or both.
b. Inspect the neck and chest area. Jugular venous distension may indicate greater than
normal pressure within the chest cavity, possibly related to a developing tension
pneumothorax. Hyperinflation of the chest over one side is another sign related to a
tension pneumothorax. If the patient's mental status worsens and blood pressure
falls, a decompression of the tension pneumothorax using a long, large gauge
angiocatheter is needed to relieve the excessive pressure in the chest.
d) Control hemorrhage
a. Control any major external bleeding immediately with direct pressure. It will be
difficult to create a pressure dressing, as is more commonly seen with extremity
injuries. Manual pressure may be needed to stop the bleeding. Recognize that the
chance of active bleeding inside the chest is significant and emergent transport to a
trauma center is needed.
e) Package for transport
a. Unless there are clear signs of neurological deficit, avoid placing the patient with
penetrating chest trauma in spinal precautions. Being supine may worsen respiratory
distress and delay transport.
b. In general, on-scene management of chest trauma should be done with BLS
interventions, with the intent to begin transport to a trauma center as soon as
feasible. With the exception of the needle decompression, other advanced level
procedures are best done while en route.
