A nurse is assessing a client who has an electrical burn. Which of the following cues should the nurse recognize as indicating a potential complication of the burn injury?

A. Cool and clammy skin: This may suggest hypovolemia or shock, which can occur in severe burns. However, it is not specific to electrical burns and is more commonly a systemic response in larger surface area injuries. B. Irregular heart rhythm: Electrical burns can disrupt cardiac conduction pathways, leading to life-threatening arrhythmias. The electrical current may pass through the heart, even when entry and exit wounds appear minor, making cardiac monitoring essential. C. Purulent drainage from the burn site: This indicates a possible infection, which is a concern in any burn injury but typically develops later. In the early period, cardiac complications are more immediate and critical in electrical burns. D. Muscle weakness: While this can occur from deep tissue injury, nerve damage, or compartment syndrome, it is a less urgent finding compared to arrhythmias. It does not directly point to the most life-threatening early complication of electrical burns.