A burn with red skin and blisters is typical of which burn degree?

• A. 1st degree burn
• B. 2nd degree burn
• C. 3rd degree burn
• D. 4th degree burn

Answer: (B)

Understanding burn depth helps you read the signs. A burn that is red and has blisters indicates partial-thickness damage, meaning the outer epidermis and part of the dermis are injured. Blisters form as fluid collects between skin layers when those layers separate from the injury. This combination—red, painful skin with blisters—is characteristic of a second-degree burn.

In contrast, a first-degree burn is limited to redness and pain without blisters. A third-degree burn is full-thickness, often appearing white, brown, or charred and may feel numb due to nerve damage. A fourth-degree burn extends deeper to muscles or bones and is far more severe. So the presence of blisters specifically points to a partial-thickness burn, i.e., a second-degree burn.