A client admitted with a burn injury has erythema and mild swelling. Which type of burn would the nurse suspect?

• A. First-degree burn
• B. Third-degree burn
• C. Fourth-degree burn
• D. Second-degree burn

Answer: (A)

Superficial burns affect only the outer skin layer (epidermis) and present with redness and mild swelling. The pain is often noticeable because nerve endings are still intact, and healing usually occurs within a few days without scarring. This description fits a first-degree burn.

A second-degree burn would involve deeper skin layers and typically cause more pain with blistering and more pronounced swelling. A third-degree burn goes through the full thickness of the skin and can appear white, brown, or charred and may be insensate because nerve endings are destroyed. A fourth-degree burn extends into deeper tissues like muscle or bone.