1st Degree
- Superficial (involve only the epidermis)
- Local pain and redness
- Can be blistering involved
- Most common are sunburns
- If the burn is bad enough, it can cause systemic response such as chills, headache, swelling, and nausea and vomiting
- Healing takes 3-5 days
2nd Degree
- Partial thickness - involves outermost layer of epidermis and uppermost-third of underlying layer of skin (dermis)
- Peripheral nerve endings become exposed in the damaged dermal layer
- Thin walled and fluid filled blisters that develop within minutes of injury
- Blanches with pressure
- Very painful
- Take 3-4 weeks to heal
- Deep Partial thickness - involves entire dermis, sparing skin appendages (hair follicles and sweat glands)
- Look waxy and white
- Discomfort with pressure
- Take 3-4 weeks to heal
- If 2nd degree burn is no larger than 3 inches in diameter, it is treated as a minor burn. If it is larger, it is considered a major burn and requires medical attention
3rd Degree
- Full thickness burns - involves destruction of entire epidermis, dermis, and often underlying subcutaneous tissue.
- These are painless
- Wound has dry, tan, charred, leathery appearance from loss of dermal elasticity
- Surgery required
4th Degree
- Full thickness and deeper tissue - destroys all of skin and underlying subcutaneous tissue, tendons, muscles, and bone.
- These are painless
- Charred, black, and eschar present
- Surgery required