Question

A patient with several deep partial-thickness burns asks how long it will take for the burn to heal. What should the nurse respond to this patient?

1) "More than two weeks."
2) "Within one to two weeks."
3) "Within 24 to 72 hours."
4) "You will need skin grafts."

Answer 1

Deep partial-thickness burns, or second-degree burns, will typically take several weeks to heal if proper wound care is maintained to prevent infection. Healing times of 24 to 72 hours or one to two weeks are too short for these kinds of burns. Skin grafts may not be necessary unless there's extensive damage.

Step-by-step explanation:

A patient with deep partial-thickness burns, which are also known as second-degree burns, typically experiences a healing time that is more than the options of 24 to 72 hours or one to two weeks. Since these burns affect both the epidermis and a portion of the dermis, leading to swelling and blistering, they require careful wound care. If the burn site is kept clean and sterile to prevent infection, the healing process for these burns will often take several weeks.

However, the response about necessitating skin grafts is more typical for even more severe burns, such as third or fourth-degree burns, where full thickness of the skin is affected. In the case of deep partial-thickness burns, skin grafts may not be required unless there is extensive damage or poor healing. Therefore, when responding to the patient, the nurse should indicate that healing is expected to take more than two weeks, considering the severity of the burns described.