Burns - third-degree
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Burns - third-degree
Also testable as: Full-thickness burn
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Deep thermal, chemical, electrical, or prolonged contact injury destroys epidermis and dermis.
- Full-thickness tissue death damages nerves and skin barrier, creating major fluid, infection, and temperature regulation problems.
Medications
No specific medication class was seeded for this card.
Signs / symptoms
- White, brown, charred, leathery, or painless center.
- Painless does not mean less severe.
- Circumferential chest/extremity burns threaten breathing or perfusion.
Nursing actions
- Assess airway first, especially with facial burns, soot, hoarseness, or enclosed-space fire.
- Monitor circulation distal to circumferential burns and report tight eschar or decreased pulses.
- Prepare for burn center referral, fluid resuscitation, debridement, escharotomy, or grafting as ordered.
Complications
- Airway edema
- Shock
- Sepsis
- Compartment syndrome
- Contractures
NCLEX cues
- White, brown, charred, leathery, or painless center.
- Painless does not mean less severe.
- Circumferential chest/extremity burns threaten breathing or perfusion.
Memory hooks
- Third-degree can be painless because nerves are burned.
Labs / Diagnostics
- TBSA estimate
- Urine output
- Electrolytes
- Carboxyhemoglobin if smoke inhalation
- Distal pulse checks
Review notes
- Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Condition card for Burns - third-degree: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Dressing care for burn wounds to protect tissue, reduce infection, and monitor healing.
Sterile protection of open wounds, surgical sites, or exposed tissue.
Thick dead tissue that can form over a burn or wound.
Assessment of pulse, color, temperature, capillary refill, movement, sensation, pain, and swelling.
Removal of dead or infected tissue from a wound or burn.
Surgical cuts through tight burn eschar to restore breathing or circulation.
Surgical placement of skin over a wound or burn area.
Sources and evidence
- https://medlineplus.gov/burns.htmlCondition