easy one - iren

[ArchivalUser]

A pediatrician's office gets a phone call from a frantic mother. Her 7-year-old daughter was playing under the sink and accidentally spilled Liquid Plumber (a strong, corrosive alkaline drain cleaner) all over her arms and legs. The nurse on the phone can hear the girl screaming in the background. Which of the following are the most appropriate instructions to give the mother?


A. Cover the burned areas with triple antibiotic ointment until the girl can be seen at the office

B. Get the girl into the shower right away and keep the water running over her for 30 minutes before bringing her to the emergency department

C. Get the girl to the emergency department as soon as possible

D. Wash the burned areas with diluted vinegar and bring the girl to the office

E. Wrap the burned areas in sterile dressings before bringing the girl to the emergency department

[ArchivalUser]

bbbbbb

[ArchivalUser]

bbbbbbbbbbbbb

[ArchivalUser]

lol too easy huh?

iit is B

as they say in kaplan don't try to be the chemist and try to neutralise the solution!!

[ArchivalUser]

The correct answer is B. By far the most important thing that can be done for caustic chemical burns is to wash away the caustic agent as soon as possible, and the best way to do that is with massive irrigation.

Any answer that allows the chemical agent to stay in touch with the skin, whether mixed with antibiotic ointment (choice A), wrapped in bandages (choice E), or with no specific additional instructions (choice C) will result in continued burning for the time that it will take to get to the emergency department or physicians' office.

Washing with an acid (choice D) is particularly inadvisable. Except for chemical burns of the esophagus, for which massive irrigation cannot be done, one should never "play chemist" when dealing with alkaline or acid burns. The chemical reaction will generate heat and compound the problem.