Physical Therapy Assistant Practice Exam

When healing occurs with minimal to no scarring in 5-21 days, which type of burn is involved?

1. Superficial burn

2. Superficial partial-thickness burn

3. Deep partial-thickness burn

4. Full-thickness burn

The correct answer is: Superficial partial-thickness burn

The healing process characterized by minimal to no scarring within a timeframe of 5-21 days is associated with a superficial partial-thickness burn. This type of burn affects the epidermis and part of the dermis, which can cause pain, redness, and blisters. The skin's ability to regenerate and heal rapidly from superficial partial-thickness burns stems from the presence of healthy skin cells in the deeper layers of the dermis, which contribute to a quicker recovery with less scarring. In contrast, superficial burns typically heal even faster, often within a few days, but they do not have as significant of an impact on the dermal layer, which is why they are not the best fit for the described healing timeline and scarring potential. Deep partial-thickness burns can take longer to heal—beyond 21 days—and often result in scarring due to the greater extent of damage reaching deeper layers of skin. Meanwhile, full-thickness burns damage all layers of the skin and require extensive healing time, usually involving skin grafts and resulting in significant scarring. Hence, the parameters of healing time and scarring align closely with the superficial partial-thickness burn.