A. Considering the patients condition, what are the priority assessments on the patient? a.

Give the rationale for doing such assessments. 1. Airway and breathing. Assessment for airway is important for patient who has burns in the face because maybe the patients airway is affected and he may also inhale toxic substances from the burning materials and also considering the patient is a victim of vehicular accident he may also has injury in cervical area. Cervical compression may cause breathing problems. Also patient has a rib fracture that may cause lung trauma. 2. Circulation. Assess for open wound and pulses especially pulses that distal to injury. Rapid assessment of patient circulation for trauma patient may save patients lives from shock and can also save the patients limbs. Massive bleeding or hemorrhage may prevent hypovolemic shock. Also important to assess fluid status of the patient, fluid and electrolyte status is critical to burn patients. 3. Assessment of burns and calculate the TSBA of burns and compute for the required fluids to facilitate the fluid resuscitation. Fluid resuscitation is critical to burn victim. 4. Assessment of mental status/ short assessment of neurologic status, VS, MAP, and PP. This can indicate an increase in intracranial pressure or head injury. Patient from vehicular accident may have a head trauma that can result to increase ICP. Increase ICP is a medical emergency because if not treated early it may cause brain herniation.