Wound Closure and Healing Flashcards

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT/VAC) promotes wound healing primarily by which mechanisms?

Answer: Removing exudate, reducing edema, promoting granulation tissue, and increasing local blood flow

NPWT promotes healing by removing excess wound fluid, reducing interstitial edema, stimulating granulation tissue formation, and increasing local tissue perfusion.

A surgical wound is classified as Class III (contaminated). Which statement best describes this wound?

Answer: Open accidental wounds or cases with major breaks in sterile technique or gross spillage from hollow viscus

Class III (contaminated) wounds include open traumatic wounds, major sterile technique breaks, or gross gastrointestinal spillage, carrying a moderate-to-high SSI risk.

Which drain type works by passive capillary action and does not require a vacuum reservoir?

Answer: Penrose drain

The Penrose drain is a soft rubber flat drain that relies on passive capillary flow and gravity, requiring no vacuum; it allows drainage from the wound to the outside.

The CRNFA observes that a patient's wound is producing green malodorous drainage 5 days postoperatively. The most likely causative organism is:

Answer: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (green/blue-green exudate with fruity odor)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa characteristically produces blue-green (pyocyanin) pigmented, malodorous wound exudate and is associated with moist wound environments.

During closure, the CRNFA should verify that drains are placed in which location relative to the primary incision?

Answer: Through a separate stab incision away from the primary wound to prevent contamination of the healing incision

Drains should exit through a separate stab wound to prevent the drain tract from contaminating the primary incision and to avoid weakening the primary closure.

Wound dehiscence involving complete separation of all tissue layers with bowel protruding is termed what, and what is the immediate nursing action?

Answer: Evisceration; cover with a sterile saline-moistened dressing and notify surgeon immediately

Evisceration is the life-threatening protrusion of abdominal contents through a wound; the immediate action is to cover with sterile saline-moistened gauze and emergently notify the surgeon for return to OR.