What special problems would occur with 50% lost skin?
anonymous asked:
Ok, so I have this question from my anatomy and physiology class, and I can’t fiugre out what kind of an answer would fit best with this question. It is a critical thinking question; here it is:
Ok, so I have this question from my anatomy and physiology class, and I can’t fiugre out what kind of an answer would fit best with this question. It is a critical thinking question; here it is:
“What special problems would result from the loss of 50% of a person’s functional skin surface? How might this person’s environment be modified to compensate for such a loss?”
I will greatly appreciate it if you all could give me some answer before 11:30 tonight…thanks!
I think skin is an organ used to protect your other organs and such.
Without it, the patient would become very vulnerable to disease’s and infections such as a Staph Infection.
I dunno though, that just my best guess.
Tyler!
Hope it helps!
Well, with a low amount of vitamin D3 you could get a calcium inbalance in your blood. This can be lethal. snakker2k
Think of all the functions of skin and go from there.
Your skin protects from the environment, maintains body temperature by both retaining heat and cooling, you synthesize Vitamin D in your skin, which works with bone metabolism, etc.
You’d need to provide an exceptionally sterile, safe, temperature regulated enviornment.
I’m going on the assumtion that you’re not removing 50% of someone’s skin, you’re just losing 50% of it’s function?
Good luck! Rosenbloomster
That’d most likely be the result of a burn - by thermal or chemical means. The most immediate threat is infection: as you know, the skin is your first line of defense against bacteria. Your immune system is your second line of defense, and the abrupt loss of skin will in effect hit that system like a ton of bricks. The normal response to serious injury is to rush massive amounts of material such as bacteriophagic cells to the site. This can reduce the amount of such material in the lungs, for example, making one more susceptible to secondary infection such as bacterial pneumonia.
Add to these threats the likelihood of serious electrolyte imbalance. An injury of this magnitude will result in a rapid loss of fluids, carrying with them those electrolytes. You’ll have noted the results of electrolyte imbalance by this point in your studies, I suspect. If not, it would take but minutes to look ‘em up.
So as you can see, an injury of this nature is serious and must be dealt with using the full armamentarium of the emergency response team, from first responders to emergency room physicians to clinical specialists. The poor guy is in deep doo-doo, and we can but hope he receives prompt and appropriate care. anoldmick
The skin is our first line of defense against infection, so that would be your first problem. The skin also maintains the fluid levels in our body so dehydration is the next problem. Most people with severe burns over most of their body, will either die of infection or dehydration. mamabear1957
Death I believe. If not, total mental collapse from the pain. asante girl
Loss of fluids
increased risk of infection
loss of temperature control
pain
pressure sores
depression
I don’t have any knowledge of how to modify the environment. The only suggestions I would have are temporary skin grafting, IV fluids, antibiotics & infection fighting procedures, stryker frame for frequent repositioning.. olympics junkie