What type of burn does a patient have if their leg is red and blistered after pouring hot soup on it?

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The scenario describes a burn that results in redness and blistering of the skin, which is characteristic of a partial thickness burn. This type of burn affects both the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and the underlying layer (dermis). The presence of blisters indicates that the burn is not superficial (which would only affect the epidermis and typically presents as redness and dryness without blistering) and is more severe than a superficial burn.

Partial thickness burns can be further categorized into superficial partial thickness (where blisters are clear and wet) or deep partial thickness (which may be red, white, or splotchy and could be more painful). The key point here is that blisters are an important sign of the partial thickness classification, distinguishing it from full thickness burns, which cause more severe damage to all layers of the skin and often do not present with blisters.

In this case, the symptoms described confirm that the burn is indeed a partial thickness burn due to the redness and the presence of blisters.

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