Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

You and your partner are caring for a 30-year-old female who sustained extensive partial- and full-thickness burns. Immediate management of this patient should include:

1. Covering the burns with sterile dressing

2. Assisting her breathing with a bag-mask device and oxygen

3. Providing pain relief with medication

4. Transporting her to a burn center

The correct answer is: Assisting her breathing with a bag-mask device and oxygen

The correct management of a patient with extensive partial- and full-thickness burns prioritizes airway and breathing. In such cases, it is essential to assess for any inhalation injury, which can occur in patients who have sustained burns, especially if they were near the flames or smoke. By assisting the patient’s breathing with a bag-mask device and administering oxygen, you are addressing a critical aspect of care by ensuring that she has adequate oxygenation and ventilation. This is vital, as burns can lead to swelling in the airways or direct injury to the lungs if there was exposure to smoke, both of which can compromise breathing significantly. Subsequent steps, such as covering the burns with sterile dressing, providing pain relief, and arranging transport to a burn center, are important but should follow ensuring that the patient's airway is protected and her breathing is supported. Immediate airway management is often life-saving and takes precedence in the acute setting of burn injuries.