Q. A 2-year-old boy who is crying incessantly is brought to the emergency department by his mother with burns on his chest and right arm that occurred an hour ago. His mother says that when she was arranging food on the lunch table, the boy accidentally poured hot broth on himself by pulling the tablecloth. She immediately poured cold water on the wounds at home and brought him here. His temperature is 37.4°C (99.3°F), pulse is 130/min, blood pressure is 90/70 mm of Hg and respiratory rate is 20/min. On examination, the burns on the chest are bright red with patchy whitish waxy areas. A few thin blisters that are unroofed are noted on his right arm. No increase in pain is observed with a gentle touch on lesions. On application of pressure, the burns are not blanching but an increase in the child’s distress is observed. What is the depth of the burns in this patient?

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