Name: Advinn Celendro Date: 09/22/21

Section: BSN 21
Prompt
Patient X is a 23-year-old male admitted at the burn unit. He sustained minor and
superficial burns at the arms and neck complaining that his pain is so severe that he
barely catches a sleep. Lying next to him is patient Y, a year 30-year-old male who has
an electrical burn injury from his hand up to his elbow. Upon examination, patient Y has
full-thickness burns afflicting his skin up to his muscles as well. When asked about how
painful; the burnt site is, he denies of any discomfort aside from his difficulty adjusting
to his daily activities.
Question:
How come patient X complains of severe pain while sustaining minor injuries
compared to patient Y who had burns concerning deeper layers?
Burn is an injury to a tissue caused by heat, cold, friction, chemicals, electricity,
or urn is an injury to a tissue caused by heat, cold, friction, chemicals, Radiation.
Patient X has minor and superficial burns, also called first-degree burns, it only
damaged the epidermis (the first layer of the skin). Patient Y has full-thickness burns,
also called third-degree burns, the epidermis and dermis are destroyed, and deeper
tissue may be involved. From the picture below, the sensory nerves are connected to
the epidermis.

The sensory nerves in the epidermis serve to sense and transmit heat, heat,
and other noxious sensations. Also, produce sensations such as numbness pins-and-
needles, and pain, tingling or burning. Patient X experiencing severe pain than Patient Y
because the sensory nerves are intact and complete, while Patient Y is painless because
the sensory receptors and nerves are completely destroyed.
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/pain-caused-by-burns
https://msktc.org/burn/factsheets/Understanding_Burn_Injury
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/
cutaneous_nerve_lab/patients/skin_anatomy.html#:~:text=The%20sensory%20nerves
%20in%20the,pain%2C%20tingling%2C%20or%20burning.