An elderly woman with full-thickness burns to approximately 50% of her body should be treated by:

• A. Applying moist sterile dressings to the burned areas and preventing hypothermia.
• B. Cooling the burns with sterile saline and covering them with dry, sterile burn pads.
• C. Peeling burned clothing from the skin and removing all rings, necklaces, and bracelets.
• D. Covering the burns with dry, sterile dressings and preventing further loss of body heat.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that when an elderly patient has extensive full-thickness burns, the priority is to protect the wound while preventing heat loss. Covering the burn areas with dry, sterile dressings provides a barrier against infection and, crucially, helps minimize evaporative heat loss from large open wounds. Maintaining body temperature is essential in older adults because hypothermia can worsen outcomes after severe burns. Cooling with liquids or keeping the dressings moist can lead to further heat loss and infection risk, and unnecessary manipulation of clothing or jewelry can cause additional injury or swelling. By dressing with dry sterile coverings and focusing on preventing further heat loss, you address both wound protection and the patient’s temperature stability, making this approach the most appropriate.