A 26-year-old man presents to the emergency
department with burns on his chest. He had a
fi ght with his girlfriend and she threw boiling
water at him, splashing his chest and arms. The
burns occurred about an hour ago, and are distributed
on the upper third of his left anterior
trunk and cover most of his left proximal arm.
The patient’s temperature is 37.4°C (99.4°F),
blood pressure is 127/74 mm Hg, pulse is 80/
min, respiratory rate is 18/min, and oxygen satu-
ration is 99% on room air. The burns are quite
painful, swollen, and erythematous, with blister
formation. The application of pressure produces
blanching and is quite painful. Which of the
following is the most appropriate management?
(A) Admission to hospital and intravenous antibiotic
administration
(B) Cleaning and dressing of the burns, and
analgesics as needed
(C) Lubricant application and analgesics as
needed
(D) Referral to a burn center
(E) Surgical evaluation for debridement and
grafting
department with burns on his chest. He had a
fi ght with his girlfriend and she threw boiling
water at him, splashing his chest and arms. The
burns occurred about an hour ago, and are distributed
on the upper third of his left anterior
trunk and cover most of his left proximal arm.
The patient’s temperature is 37.4°C (99.4°F),
blood pressure is 127/74 mm Hg, pulse is 80/
min, respiratory rate is 18/min, and oxygen satu-
ration is 99% on room air. The burns are quite
painful, swollen, and erythematous, with blister
formation. The application of pressure produces
blanching and is quite painful. Which of the
following is the most appropriate management?
(A) Admission to hospital and intravenous antibiotic
administration
(B) Cleaning and dressing of the burns, and
analgesics as needed
(C) Lubricant application and analgesics as
needed
(D) Referral to a burn center
(E) Surgical evaluation for debridement and
grafting