How can you distinguish a first-degree burn from a second-degree burn?

• A. Second-degree burns are red and painful only
• B. First-degree burns cause numbness
• C. Second-degree burns do not blister
• D. First-degree burns affect only the outer skin (red, painful); second-degree blisters and deeper pain

Answer: (D)

The key distinction is how deep the burn goes in the skin. A first-degree burn injures only the outermost layer, the epidermis, so the area is red and tender to touch but not blistered. A second-degree burn reaches deeper into the skin, involving the epidermis and dermis, which leads to blisters and more intense or prolonged pain because more nerve endings are affected. So the telltale signs are red, painful skin with no blisters for a first-degree burn, versus blistering and deeper pain for a second-degree burn.