The nurse reviews the assessment findings of four clients with burns. Which client's findings are consistent with chemical burns?

The nurse reviews the assessment findings of four clients with burns. Which client's findings are consistent with chemical burns?

• A. Client A - cardiac arrest
• B. Client B - minimal to absent pain
• C. Client C - paralysis
• D. Client D - hoarseness

Answer: (C)

Chemical burns often cause deeper tissue damage that can destroy nerve endings, so the area may hurt less than you’d expect. This means a finding of minimal to absent pain is a classic clue for a chemical burn, because the injury can be extensive even when pain seems muted. Inhalation injuries can produce hoarseness due to airway involvement, which is related but not the primary hallmark. Paralysis isn’t a typical immediate sign of a chemical burn and would suggest a nerve or systemic issue beyond the local burn itself. Cardiac arrest would be an extreme systemic consequence, not a defining burn-face finding.

Chemical burns often cause deeper tissue damage that can destroy nerve endings, so the area may hurt less than you’d expect. This means a finding of minimal to absent pain is a classic clue for a chemical burn, because the injury can be extensive even when pain seems muted. Inhalation injuries can produce hoarseness due to airway involvement, which is related but not the primary hallmark. Paralysis isn’t a typical immediate sign of a chemical burn and would suggest a nerve or systemic issue beyond the local burn itself. Cardiac arrest would be an extreme systemic consequence, not a defining burn-face finding.