Basic Nursing Skills Wound Care & Dressings 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which solution is most appropriate for routine wound irrigation?
- Full-strength povidone-iodine
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Normal saline (0.9% NaCl) (Correct answer)
- 70% isopropyl alcohol
Correct answer: Normal saline (0.9% NaCl)
Normal saline is isotonic and non-cytotoxic, making it the safest and most recommended solution for routine wound irrigation.
Question 2: A wet-to-dry dressing is used primarily for:
- Maintaining a moist wound environment
- Mechanical debridement of necrotic tissue (Correct answer)
- Protecting a clean surgical incision
- Applying topical antibiotics
Correct answer: Mechanical debridement of necrotic tissue
Wet-to-dry dressings are a form of mechanical debridement — as the wet gauze dries, it traps and removes necrotic debris upon removal.
Question 3: Which type of dressing maintains a moist wound environment and is used for partial-thickness wounds and minor burns?
- Dry gauze dressing
- Hydrocolloid dressing (Correct answer)
- Alginate dressing
- Transparent film dressing
Correct answer: Hydrocolloid dressing
Hydrocolloid dressings form a gel over the wound, maintain moisture, and are appropriate for partial-thickness wounds and minor burns.
Question 4: The nurse notes a wound has yellow, thick, foul-smelling drainage. This type of drainage is called:
- Serous
- Serosanguineous
- Sanguineous
- Purulent (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Purulent
Purulent drainage is thick, opaque, yellow, green, or brown, and indicates infection or the presence of microorganisms.
Question 5: When removing a soiled dressing, the nurse should:
- Use bare hands to avoid contaminating gloves
- Wear clean gloves and place soiled dressing in biohazard bag (Correct answer)
- Flush the wound immediately before removing old dressing
- Remove the dressing quickly to minimize patient discomfort
Correct answer: Wear clean gloves and place soiled dressing in biohazard bag
Clean gloves protect the nurse from contact with body fluids; the soiled dressing is disposed of in a biohazard/impermeable bag per standard precautions.
Question 6: Eschar on a wound bed is best described as:
- Bright red granulation tissue indicating healing
- Yellow or white fibrin slough
- Black or brown dry, leathery necrotic tissue (Correct answer)
- Clear, watery wound exudate
Correct answer: Black or brown dry, leathery necrotic tissue
Eschar is black, brown, or tan dry, hard, leathery necrotic tissue that must be debrided to allow wound healing.
Basic Nursing Skills Wound Care & Dressings 2
Which solution is most appropriate for routine wound irrigation?