Which statement best describes a first-degree burn?

• A. Epidermal and partial dermal injury; blisters present
• B. Involves full dermis; dry, leathery
• C. Epidermal damage only; painful, red, no blisters
• D. Full thickness burn

Answer: (C)

First-degree burns involve only the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin. They cause pain and redness and do not form blisters because the deeper layers aren’t damaged. The statement that describes epidermal damage only, with pain and redness and no blisters, matches this pattern. Burns that extend into the dermis and blister are superficial partial-thickness (second-degree), and burns that reach through the dermis with dry, leathery skin are full-thickness (third-degree). So the description here best fits a burn limited to the epidermis.