A partial thickness burn involves which layers of skin?

• A. Dermis and epidermis
• B. Only epidermis
• C. Subcutaneous tissue
• D. Muscle

Answer: (A)

Partial thickness burns involve both the epidermis and part of the dermis. The epidermis is the outermost skin layer, and the dermis sits beneath it; when damage reaches into the dermis, it’s enough to classify the burn as partial thickness. This is why signs like blistering and significant pain are common, since many nerve endings remain in the dermal layer while the epidermis is damaged.

If only the epidermis were involved, that would be a superficial burn with minimal damage and faster healing. If the injury extended into subcutaneous tissue or deeper into muscle, that would be full-thickness or deeper, not partial thickness. Therefore, the correct layers are the dermis and epidermis.