Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

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The "rule of palms" for estimating BSA burned is particularly useful for what type of burns?

  1. Full-thickness burns

  2. Irregularly-shaped burns

  3. Superficial burns

  4. Minor burns

The correct answer is: Irregularly-shaped burns

The "rule of palms" is an effective method for estimating the body surface area (BSA) affected by burns, and it is particularly useful for irregularly-shaped burns. This method uses the size of the patient's palm, which represents approximately 1% of their total BSA, to provide a quick estimation of the extent of burns that might not fit typical patterns or areas. When dealing with irregularly-shaped burns, traditional methods, such as the "Lund and Browder chart," may be less effective due to the complexity of the burn patterns. The rule of palms allows a healthcare provider to measure small areas of burns on a case-by-case basis, accommodating various shapes and sizes of burns. This scalability makes it very versatile and straightforward for estimating BSA involvement in cases where the burns do not conform to standard percentage estimates for larger body sections. In contrast, the other options are less suited for this method. Full-thickness burns require more precise assessment as they involve deeper skin layers, and using the rule of palms may oversimplify the severity. Superficial burns, while they can be calculated, typically involve smaller areas that are often within predictable ranges, making the rule less necessary. Minor burns are usually straightforward in size and do not