Wound Care and Skin Integrity in Rehabilitation Flashcards

A CRRN is educating a patient about nutrition to promote wound healing. Which nutrient is MOST critical for collagen synthesis and immune function in wound repair?

Answer: Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for hydroxylation of proline and lysine in collagen synthesis, and deficiency significantly impairs wound healing and immune response.

A rehabilitation patient with SCI develops skin maceration around an indwelling catheter site. Which intervention is MOST appropriate?

Answer: Use a moisture-barrier ointment or film, ensure proper catheter securement to reduce tension and movement

Moisture-barrier products protect periwound skin, while proper catheter securement reduces mechanical trauma — both are essential to manage and prevent catheter-associated skin breakdown.

When teaching a patient with limited mobility about skin inspection, which tool is MOST helpful for visualizing posterior body surfaces independently?

Answer: Long-handled mirror

A long-handled mirror enables patients with mobility limitations to inspect posterior surfaces such as the sacrum, buttocks, and heels for early pressure injury detection.

A patient's sacral wound is being treated with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT/wound VAC). Which assessment finding requires IMMEDIATE intervention?

Answer: Sudden loss of suction with bright red blood visible in the foam dressing

Bright red blood in the NPWT dressing or canister indicates wound bleeding, which requires immediate foam removal, manual pressure, and urgent physician notification.

A patient with a stage 4 pressure injury exposing bone is being assessed for osteomyelitis. Which assessment finding is MOST indicative of this complication?

Answer: Bone that is visible or palpable in the wound base with elevated ESR and CRP

Visible or probe-to-bone positive wounds with elevated inflammatory markers (ESR, CRP) strongly suggest osteomyelitis, which requires MRI confirmation and prolonged antibiotic therapy.

Which patient statement indicates CORRECT understanding of pressure injury prevention after the CRRN's education session?

Answer: I will reposition every 2 hours in bed and perform weight shifts every 15–30 minutes in my wheelchair

Repositioning every 2 hours in bed and performing wheelchair weight shifts every 15–30 minutes are the evidence-based frequencies for preventing pressure injury in at-risk patients.