FREE Wound Care Certification Knowledge Question and Answer
What happens to the skin (epidermis) as it ages?
When the epidermis ages, skin can get rougher, thinner, more transparent, more fragile, and more likely to get sores and bruises. It can also make the skin less able to keep water in, keep its pH level stable, and protect itself from outside forces. As people get older, the number of cells with pigment (called melanocytes) goes down and the remaining melanocytes get bigger, making the skin look lighter and clearer.
Most likely to require specialized surgical intervention are lacerations involving:
Lacerations in this portion of the eyelid may damage the lacrimal duct, which requires cannulation. The other wounds can be fixed with common materials, but it may take time and confidence.
When a hand is placed under the overlay below the pressure ulcer or below the region of the body at risk for a pressure ulcer, this term is used to indicate that the support device is insufficient.
This term is used to describe when a support device like a mattress or cushion isn't able to redistribute pressure well enough and the patient's body touches the surface below. This can make pressure ulcers more likely to happen or get worse. To avoid bottoming out, it is best to use support surfaces that are right for the patient and to keep an eye on the patient's skin regularly.
Pressure ulcers can be caused by dehydration and malnutrition.
Pressure ulcers and poor wound healing are caused by nutritional deficiency and poor diet.
Collagen production, intracellular cement substance maintenance, and iron absorption are all helped by this vitamin.
Vitamin C plays a role in how the body repairs and grows new tissues. Vitamin C is a very important part of the process of making connective tissue, especially collagen. It also gives new collagen, which wouldn't be able to stretch without tearing if it didn't have this strength, the ability to stretch.
What nutrient repairs the body from damage, produces new tissue, and supports many critical body functions?
The body's building blocks are proteins. They help your body build and repair tissues and fight off infections. Your body gets energy from extra protein. Eat a range of nutrient-dense proteins, especially for older adults.
Wounds need to be cleaned the first time and every time the bandage is changed.
Cleaning a wound helps it heal better and makes it less likely that an infection will happen. It loosens and washes away things like bacteria, exudate, pus, and leftover topical agents from previous dressings. Most wounds should be cleaned when they first occur and every time the bandage is changed.
The most important rule to follow when deciding when to change a pressure ulcer's dressing is _____.
The type of dressing needed depends on how the ulcer bed looks and what you want the dressing to do. The most important rule is to keep the ulcer tissue moist and the healthy skin around it dry.
After a primary assessment has shown that a wound doesn't threaten life or limb, the first step in treating a wound that needs sutures is:
If wound care is done before local anesthesia is given, the only thing that can happen is pain. Sterile prep has been a part of surgery for a long time, but a true sterile field can't be made for skin cuts. Most wounds don't need x-rays (fractures and foreign bodies can usually be ruled out by a thorough examination).
Which pressure ulcer is most severe?
The most severe type of pressure ulcer is a stage IV ulcer. The skin is severely injured, and the tissue around it starts to die (tissue necrosis). There may also be damage to the muscles or bone underneath. A life-threatening infection can quickly spread through a patient with a stage IV pressure ulcer.
When it is appropriate for the resident's condition and consistent with the resident's goals, the removal of devitalized tissue in pressure ulcers is _____.
Acute and chronic wound beds, such as those caused by pressure ulcers, burns, or other injuries, can benefit from debridement, which involves removing necrotic, nonviable/dead tissue to make way for good tissue for faster recovery.
A pressure ulcer that shows up as a deep crater, with or without damage to the surrounding tissue, is called a ____.
Full thickness skin loss in stage III involves necrosis or injury to subcutaneous tissue that may reach the underlying fascia but not through it. The ulcer looks like a deep crater, with or without damage to the nearby tissue.
Do pressure ulcers typically develop over bony prominences and are caused by persistent pressure that damages the underlying tissue?
Damage to the skin and underlying tissue, typically over a bony prominence or as a result of a medical or other device, is what we call a pressure ulcer. It can look like normal skin or an open sore and is caused by intense and/or long-lasting pressure or pressure plus shear. Most pressure ulcers happen where bones stick out, but they can happen anywhere on the body, even on mucosal surfaces.
Which product offers the best and longest skin protection against incontinence?
A barrier of protection is created on the skin by creams or ointments containing petrolatum, lanolin, or zinc oxide. Some skin care products, which usually come in the form of a spray or a towelette, cover the skin with a thin, clear layer that protects it. A doctor or nurse can suggest barrier creams to help keep the skin safe.
The most effective and least harmful way to lower the risk of wound infection is:
Animal models show that NS irrigation (usually 50–100 ml/cm under pressure) reduces infection and doesn't have any of the possible side effects of the other agents listed.
If a pressure ulcer is diagnosed as superficial and looks like a blister with epidermal and dermis loss, the ulcer is classified as a _____.
When someone has a stage II pressure ulcer, some of the skin's outer layer (the epidermis) or deeper layer (the dermis) is damaged, which causes skin loss. The ulcer looks like a blister or an open wound.