Which feature is typical of a second-degree burn?

Which feature is typical of a second-degree burn?

• A. Blisters
• B. Charred black skin
• C. Loss of sensation is absent
• D. Dry, leathery eschar

Answer: (A)

Second-degree burns are partial-thickness injuries that involve the epidermis and part of the dermis. The defining feature is blistering, where fluid-filled vesicles form at the burn site due to separation between skin layers. This reflects damage to the epidermal-dermal junction while nerve endings remain intact, so the area is typically quite painful. In contrast, a charred black appearance or a dry, leathery eschar signals a deeper, full-thickness (third-degree) burn, where both epidermis and dermis are destroyed. Sensation is often reduced or absent in such deeper burns because nerve endings are damaged. Loss of sensation is not typical for second-degree burns, where pain is usually present due to intact nerve fibers. So the blister formation is the most characteristic feature of a second-degree burn.

Second-degree burns are partial-thickness injuries that involve the epidermis and part of the dermis. The defining feature is blistering, where fluid-filled vesicles form at the burn site due to separation between skin layers. This reflects damage to the epidermal-dermal junction while nerve endings remain intact, so the area is typically quite painful.

In contrast, a charred black appearance or a dry, leathery eschar signals a deeper, full-thickness (third-degree) burn, where both epidermis and dermis are destroyed. Sensation is often reduced or absent in such deeper burns because nerve endings are damaged. Loss of sensation is not typical for second-degree burns, where pain is usually present due to intact nerve fibers.

So the blister formation is the most characteristic feature of a second-degree burn.