Question

When assessing a pt with a partial thickness burn, the nurse would expect to find (select all that apply)

a. blisters
b. exposed fascia
c. exposed muscles
d. intact nerve endings
e. red, shiny, wet appearance

Answer 1

A nurse assessing a patient with a partial thickness burn would expect to find swelling, blistering, intact nerve endings, and a red, shiny, wet appearance, but not exposed fascia or muscles.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing a patient with a partial thickness burn, a nurse would expect to find several key characteristics of the injury. Partial thickness burns, also known as second-degree burns, affect both the epidermis and a portion of the dermis. They result in swelling and blistering of the skin, but do not typically extend through the entire dermis or into the subcutaneous tissues, so exposed fascia and exposed muscles would not be present. These burns can be very painful because they often involve intact nerve endings. The appearance of a partial thickness burn is typically red, shiny, and wet, due to the injury to the skin's sweat glands and blood vessels combined with plasma leakage, which can accumulate under the blistered skin.