Field Internship Student Data Acquisition Project (FISDAP) Trauma Practice Exam

A 60 year old male was burned in a house fire. He has partial and full thickness burns to the anterior surface of his neck, chest, and abdomen. What percentage of burns did he receive?

To determine the total body surface area (TBSA) affected by burns in this case, one would use the rule of nines, which is commonly utilized in the assessment of burn injuries.

In adults, the anterior surface of the head is considered to account for 4.5% of TBSA, while each entire arm represents 9%, and each leg constitutes 18%. The chest and abdomen together account for 18% of TBSA (9% for the anterior chest and 9% for the abdomen), and the anterior neck is typically considered to be 4.5% of TBSA.

For this patient with burns to the anterior neck, chest, and abdomen, the percentages are summed as follows:

- Anterior neck: 4.5%

- Anterior chest: 9%

- Abdomen (anterior): 9%

When added together, these percentages yield a total of 4.5% + 9% + 9%, which equals 22.5%. However, it is common in clinical settings to round the TBSA, particularly when specifically assessing burns of varying depths. It's important to consider the nature of the burns mentioned: partial and full thickness.

In this scenario, the assessment yields