Which description best matches a third-degree burn appearance?

Which description best matches a third-degree burn appearance?

• A. Dry or stiff with varied coloring
• B. Wet and blistered
• C. Red and painful
• D. Blanching on pressure

Answer: (A)

Third-degree burns involve full-thickness skin destruction, so the affected area tends to be dry, stiff, and leathery. The color can vary widely—from white or waxy to tan, brown, or black—reflecting necrosis and eschar. Blisters and a wet, shiny surface are more typical of lighter-depth burns, while a red, painful burn points to a shallower injury. Because nerve endings are destroyed in a full-thickness burn, the area may be numb or only minimally painful, even though surrounding tissue can be very painful. Blanching on pressure suggests preserved capillary flow, which is more characteristic of superficial burns; third-degree burns often do not blanch. So the dry, stiff, variably colored description best matches a third-degree burn.

Third-degree burns involve full-thickness skin destruction, so the affected area tends to be dry, stiff, and leathery. The color can vary widely—from white or waxy to tan, brown, or black—reflecting necrosis and eschar. Blisters and a wet, shiny surface are more typical of lighter-depth burns, while a red, painful burn points to a shallower injury. Because nerve endings are destroyed in a full-thickness burn, the area may be numb or only minimally painful, even though surrounding tissue can be very painful. Blanching on pressure suggests preserved capillary flow, which is more characteristic of superficial burns; third-degree burns often do not blanch. So the dry, stiff, variably colored description best matches a third-degree burn.