Which client has second-degree burns?

• A. Client A - waxy white, dark-brown appearance
• B. Client B - redness, pain, minimal edema
• C. Client C - moist blebs, blisters, severe pain
• D. Client D - dry, leathery eschar, absence of pain

Answer: (C)

Burn depth is identified by how much skin layers are damaged and what the skin looks and feels like. Second-degree burns involve the epidermis and part of the dermis and typically blister, remain moist, and be very painful because many nerve endings are still intact. The description with moist blebs and blisters and severe pain fits this pattern best. In contrast, a waxy white, dark-brown appearance suggests deeper tissue injury, consistent with deeper partial-thickness or full-thickness burns. A dry, leathery eschar with no pain points to a full-thickness burn where nerve endings are destroyed. Redness with pain and little edema without blisters fits a superficial or first-degree burn, which lacks blister formation. So the client described as having moist blebs, blisters, and severe pain has a second-degree burn.