Which statement best describes a first-degree burn?

Which statement best describes a first-degree burn?

• A. Redness of the skin and pain
• B. Loss of all skin layers
• C. White or charred tissue
• D. Severe blistering with deep tissue damage

Answer: (A)

First-degree burns are superficial injuries that affect only the epidermis, the outermost skin layer. The hallmark is redness (erythema) and pain because the nerve endings in that layer are irritated. The skin stays intact and usually doesn’t blister, and healing happens in a few days without scarring. If the burn involved deeper skin layers, you’d see different signs: loss of all skin layers points to a full-thickness (third-degree) burn, white or charred tissue indicates deeper tissue damage, and severe blistering with deep tissue involvement suggests a deeper second-degree burn.

First-degree burns are superficial injuries that affect only the epidermis, the outermost skin layer. The hallmark is redness (erythema) and pain because the nerve endings in that layer are irritated. The skin stays intact and usually doesn’t blister, and healing happens in a few days without scarring.

If the burn involved deeper skin layers, you’d see different signs: loss of all skin layers points to a full-thickness (third-degree) burn, white or charred tissue indicates deeper tissue damage, and severe blistering with deep tissue involvement suggests a deeper second-degree burn.