Which burn is painless due to nerve damage?

• A. Superficial Burn
• B. Partial Thickness Burn
• C. Full Thickness Burn
• D. Chemical Burn

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that pain from a burn depends on whether nerve endings in the skin are preserved or destroyed. Painful sensation comes from intact nerve endings in the skin, so:

• Superficial burns affect only the outer skin and spare nerves, making them painful.

• Partial-thickness burns reach into the dermis where many nerve endings reside, so they are very painful.

• Full-thickness burns destroy nerve endings across the burned area, so that region becomes insensate and feels painless despite the tissue damage. You may still feel pain around the edges or during care as surrounding tissue responds and nerve pathways are stimulated.

Chemical burns can vary in depth and nerve involvement, so their pain depends on how deeply they damage tissue, but the hallmark painless burn due to nerve destruction is a full-thickness burn.