CNOR - Certification Wound Management and Tissue Handling Flashcards

Which dressing type is most appropriate for a heavily exudating wound?

Answer: Alginate or foam dressing

Alginate and foam dressings are highly absorbent and designed to manage heavy exudate while maintaining a moist wound environment.

A Penrose drain differs from a Jackson-Pratt drain because it is:

Answer: A passive open drain relying on gravity and capillary action

A Penrose drain is a soft rubber tube that passively allows fluid to drain by gravity and capillary action without suction.

Which suture material is classified as nonabsorbable and commonly used for vascular anastomoses?

Answer: Polypropylene (Prolene)

Polypropylene (Prolene) is a nonabsorbable monofilament suture with excellent tensile strength and low tissue reactivity, ideal for vascular anastomoses.

The purpose of maintaining a moist wound environment during healing is to:

Answer: Facilitate cell migration, prevent tissue desiccation, and promote re-epithelialization

A moist wound environment supports cellular migration and proliferation, reducing healing time compared to wounds allowed to dry out.

Which factor in Halsted's principles of surgery directly reduces SSI risk by preserving tissue viability?

Answer: Gentle tissue handling and meticulous hemostasis

Halsted's principles emphasize gentle tissue handling and hemostasis to eliminate dead space, hematoma, and ischemia — all of which predispose to infection.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT/VAC therapy) aids wound healing primarily by:

Answer: Removing exudate, reducing edema, promoting perfusion, and stimulating granulation tissue

NPWT applies controlled sub-atmospheric pressure to the wound surface, removing excess fluid, decreasing bacterial colonization, and promoting granulation tissue formation.