Injuries: burns, Lund and Browder chart: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Injuries: burns, Lund and Browder chart

Sample item

A 10-month-old infant has scalds over the face, scalp and neck. Why is the Lund and Browder chart preferred to the rule of nines for estimating the burnt surface area?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. The head forms a larger and the legs a smaller share of body surface in infants, and the chart adjusts for age

The rule of nines is derived for adults, in whom the head is 9 percent. In infants the head accounts for about 18 percent and the lower limbs proportionally less, so adult proportions misestimate the area. Lund and Browder give age-specific percentages for each body region.

Option by option

  • A. The head forms a larger and the legs a smaller share of body surface in infants, and the chart adjusts for age (correct)

    Correct. Age-specific percentages correct the changing body proportions of children.

  • B. It measures the depth of burns more accurately than the rule of nines

    Neither chart measures depth; they estimate the percentage of body surface involved.

  • C. It counts only second-degree and third-degree areas, which the rule of nines cannot

    Both methods can include partial and full thickness areas; this is not the reason for the chart.

  • D. It is applicable only to burns caused by electricity or chemicals

    The chart is used for all types of burn, including scalds.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is A, The head forms a larger and the legs a smaller share of body surface in infants, and the chart adjusts for age. The rule of nines is derived for adults, in whom the head is 9 percent.

Why is "It measures the depth of burns more accurately than the rule of nines" not the answer?

Neither chart measures depth; they estimate the percentage of body surface involved.

Why is "It counts only second-degree and third-degree areas, which the rule o…" not the answer?

Both methods can include partial and full thickness areas; this is not the reason for the chart.

Why is "It is applicable only to burns caused by electricity or chemicals" not the answer?

The chart is used for all types of burn, including scalds.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries: burns, Lund and Browder chart in Forensic Medicine. In infants the head accounts for about 18 percent and the lower limbs proportionally less, so adult proportions misestimate the area. Lund and Browder give age-specific percentages for each body region.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Injuries: burns, Lund and Browder chart?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.