Wound Bed Preparation Flashcards

Hypergranulation (proud flesh) in a wound bed is most commonly caused by:

Answer: Excessive moisture and continuous pressure on the wound

Hypergranulation typically results from a chronically moist, occluded wound environment often combined with low-grade infection or repeated trauma, causing overgrowth of granulation tissue above the wound margins.

For a heavily exudating wound during wound bed preparation, the most appropriate dressing category is:

Answer: Highly absorptive dressings such as alginates or foam dressings

Alginates and foam dressings have high absorptive capacity and are the appropriate choice for wounds with heavy exudate to maintain moisture balance without causing maceration.

Epibole (rolled or curled wound edges) indicates:

Answer: Stalled healing where edge epithelial cells fail to migrate into the wound

Epibole occurs when wound edge epithelial cells roll under and down the wound margin instead of migrating across the wound bed, indicating a stalled healing process that requires intervention.

Topical antimicrobials are most appropriately used in wound bed preparation when:

Answer: The wound shows signs of critical colonization or localized infection

Topical antimicrobials are indicated when there is evidence of critical colonization (subtle healing stall) or local infection, not for routine use on all colonized wounds.

The factor most responsible for wound chronicity that wound bed preparation directly aims to correct is:

Answer: Elevated wound proteases and senescent cells that impair the healing cascade

Chronic wounds contain high levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), reactive oxygen species, and senescent cells that degrade growth factors and extracellular matrix, directly impairing healing.

During wound bed preparation, wound contraction is primarily driven by:

Answer: Myofibroblast contractile activity pulling wound edges together

Myofibroblasts, a specialized contractile cell type that differentiates from fibroblasts, generate the mechanical force responsible for wound contraction during the proliferative phase.

A wound that remains pale or grey in the wound bed despite adequate debridement and dressing management most likely indicates:

Answer: Poor tissue perfusion or ischemia compromising the healing response

A pale, grey, or avascular wound bed suggests ischemia or poor perfusion; without adequate oxygen and nutrient delivery, wound bed preparation interventions will fail to stimulate healing.