Burn injury characteristics by depth

Depth	Cause^*	Appearance	Sensation	Healing time
Superficial (epidermal)	Ultraviolet exposure (eg, sunburn)^¶ Very short flash	Intense erythema Blanches with pressure	Painful	3 to 6 days
Superficial partial-thickness	Scald (spill or splash) Short flash	Blisters Moist, red, weeping Blanches with pressure	Painful to temperature and air and touch	7 to 21 days
Deep partial-thickness	Scald (spill) Flame Oil Grease Chemical^¶ Ionizing radiation^¶	Blisters (easily unroofed) Wet or waxy dry Variable color (patchy to cheesy white to red) Blanching with pressure may be sluggish or absent	Painful to pressure	>21 days Usually requires surgical treatment
Full-thickness	Scald (immersion) Flame Steam Oil Grease Chemical^¶ Ionizing radiation^¶ Electrical	Waxy white to leathery gray to charred and black Dry and inelastic No blanching with pressure	Deep pressure only	Rarely heals without surgical treatment (if >2% total body surface area)
Deeper injury		Extends into fascia and/or muscle	Deep pressure	Rarely heals without surgical treatment

* More than one type of burn can be present.

¶ The depth of chemical burns depends on the strength of the acid or base as well as length of contact. The effects of radiation (nonionizing, ionizing) similarly depend on length of exposure and dose.

Adapted from:

Mertens DM, Jenkins ME, Warden GD. Out patient burn management. Nurs Clin North Am 1997; 32:343.
Peate WF. Outpatient management of burns. Am Fam Physician 1992; 45:1321.
Clayton MC, Solem LD. No ice, no butter. Advice on management of burns for primary care physicians. Postgrad Med 1995; 97:151.

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Burn injury characteristics by depth