The severity of a burn injury is determined by how deep it
penetrates the surface of the skin. Burn injuries are generally
classified into three categories:
First-degree Burns
First-degree
burns are superficial burns that affect only the epidermis (the top
layer of the skin). The burn injury is red, painful, and dry but has no
blistering.
Second-degree Burns
Second-degree
(or partial thickness) burns damage the first layers of skin, the
epidermis and the dermis. Second-degree burns often do cause blistering
and may require skin grafts if the injury is deep enough.
Third-degree Burns
Third-degree
(full thickness) burns destroy the first two layers of the skin and may
also cause damage to underlying nerves, bones, and muscles.
Third-degree burns commonly require skin grafts and long-term use of
compression garments to reduce scarring. |