Burns: depth assessment: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

General Surgery · Burns: depth assessment

Sample item

A child has a scald where the skin is mottled pink-white, does not blanch on pressure and has reduced sensation to pin-prick, with ruptured blisters. Which burn depth is this, and what is the usual outcome?

ADeep partial thickness, likely to need excision and graftingBSuperficial partial thickness, healing in under 2 weeks without scarCFull thickness, painful and bright redDSuperficial burn, healing in 3 days

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Deep partial thickness, likely to need excision and grafting

Deep dermal burns are mottled, non-blanching and have diminished sensation because most dermal nerve endings are destroyed. Healing takes longer than 3 weeks with hypertrophic scarring, so tangential excision and skin grafting is usually preferred. Superficial partial thickness burns are painful, blanch and blister and heal in 10 to 14 days.

Option by option

A. Deep partial thickness, likely to need excision and grafting (correct)
Correct. Non-blanching mottled skin with reduced sensation signals a deep dermal burn needing grafting.
B. Superficial partial thickness, healing in under 2 weeks without scar
Superficial partial thickness burns are moist, blanching and very painful, unlike this one.
C. Full thickness, painful and bright red
Full thickness burns are leathery, white or charred and insensate, and the description here fits deep partial thickness.
D. Superficial burn, healing in 3 days
Superficial epidermal burns are dry and red without blisters, and heal in days.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Deep partial thickness, likely to need excision and grafting. Deep dermal burns are mottled, non-blanching and have diminished sensation because most dermal nerve endings are destroyed.

Why is "Superficial partial thickness, healing in under 2 weeks without scar" not the answer?

Superficial partial thickness burns are moist, blanching and very painful, unlike this one.

Why is "Full thickness, painful and bright red" not the answer?

Full thickness burns are leathery, white or charred and insensate, and the description here fits deep partial thickness.

Why is "Superficial burn, healing in 3 days" not the answer?

Superficial epidermal burns are dry and red without blisters, and heal in days.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Burns: depth assessment in General Surgery. Healing takes longer than 3 weeks with hypertrophic scarring, so tangential excision and skin grafting is usually preferred. Superficial partial thickness burns are painful, blanch and blister and heal in 10 to 14 days.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Burns: depth assessment?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.