When providing warmth to a patient, which risk must be considered?

• A. Hypothermia risk
• B. Burn risk
• C. Infection risk
• D. Bleeding risk

Answer: (B)

When you warm a patient, the main risk to watch for is tissue injury from the heat itself. Heat sources used in trauma care—like warming blankets, heated IV fluids, or radiant heat—must be carefully controlled. If the temperature is too high, exposure is too long, or heat is applied to compromised skin or around wounds, it can cause burns or deeper tissue damage. In trauma patients, maintaining normal body temperature is important to reduce complications, but improper warming can introduce a new injury, so burn risk is the priority to monitor.