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Difficulty: EasyEmergency Response and Hazardous Materials

A client presents to an urgent care clinic reporting that an unknown industrial cleaning chemical just splashed onto their forearms, causing intense burning. Which action should the practical nurse (PN) take first?

  1. Immediately initiate continuous flushing of the client's forearms with running water.Answer
  2. B
    Leave the client in the triage room to locate the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the chemical.
  3. C
    Instruct the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) to evaluate the severity of the chemical burn.
  4. D
    Don a sterile surgical gown and sterile gloves before approaching the client's arms.

Answer

The correct action is to immediately initiate continuous flushing of the client's forearms with running water.
The immediate priority for any topical chemical exposure is to stop the burning process. Flushing the area with copious amounts of water dilutes and removes the chemical, which is the most critical first step in emergency decontamination.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Recognize the emergency nature of a chemical splash.
Identify that the chemical is actively causing tissue damage.
Chemical burns continue to deepen as long as the substance is in contact with the skin.
2
Prioritize immediate interventions over secondary tasks.
Determine that physical decontamination must occur before administrative tasks like finding the SDS.
Immediate removal of the chemical through copious flushing is the standard first-aid response to minimize injury.

Key Concept

First Aid for Chemical Exposure
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Topics

Emergency Response and Hazardous Materials

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