What two factors are considered when coding burns?

• A. Depth only.
• B. Surface area only.
• C. Depth and total body surface area.
• D. Age of patient only.

Answer: (C)

Burn coding uses two key measurements: how deep the burn goes and how much of the body is burned. Depth tells you which tissue layers are damaged—superficial, partial-thickness, or full-thickness—and this drives decisions about treatment and the specific code. The total body surface area (TBSA) shows how extensive the injury is, usually estimated with established charts such as Lund and Browder or the Rule of Nines. Together, depth and TBSA capture both the severity and the extent of the burn, which is why they’re the factors used for coding. Depth alone wouldn’t reflect how widespread the burn is, and TBSA alone wouldn’t indicate tissue involvement, so combining both provides the accurate code. Age or considering surface area by itself aren’t used to determine burn codes in isolation, since they don’t fully represent severity.