In burn management, which action is appropriate regarding clothing?

In burn management, which action is appropriate regarding clothing?

• A. Remove all clothing completely
• B. Do not remove clothing at all
• C. Expose the wound by gently lifting and cutting clothing covering the burn area, unless it is stuck
• D. Apply a dry dressing over clothing without exposing the wound

Answer: (C)

In burn care, you want to expose the wound so you can assess its size and depth and start cooling right away. If the clothing covering the burned area is not stuck to the skin, gently lift it away and cut around the edges to remove it without pulling on the burn. This lets you see the wound and apply proper immediate treatment. If the fabric is stuck to the burn, do not tear it off; leave the clothing in place and only cut away surrounding material to avoid causing more tissue damage. Removing all clothing completely or not removing clothing at all hinders proper assessment and cooling, and applying a dry dressing over clothing leaves the wound unexamined and not properly cooled. Expose the wound, then cover with an appropriate dressing after cooling.

In burn care, you want to expose the wound so you can assess its size and depth and start cooling right away. If the clothing covering the burned area is not stuck to the skin, gently lift it away and cut around the edges to remove it without pulling on the burn. This lets you see the wound and apply proper immediate treatment. If the fabric is stuck to the burn, do not tear it off; leave the clothing in place and only cut away surrounding material to avoid causing more tissue damage.

Removing all clothing completely or not removing clothing at all hinders proper assessment and cooling, and applying a dry dressing over clothing leaves the wound unexamined and not properly cooled. Expose the wound, then cover with an appropriate dressing after cooling.