LPN Wound Care and Skin Integrity 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When performing wound irrigation, which pressure range effectively removes debris without causing tissue damage?
- 1–4 psi
- 4–15 psi (Correct answer)
- 15–25 psi
- 25–35 psi
Correct answer: 4–15 psi
Irrigation pressure of 4–15 psi is sufficient to dislodge debris and bacteria while avoiding trauma to fragile healing tissue.
Question 2: Which characteristic of wound drainage is most indicative of an active infection?
- Serous (clear, watery) drainage
- Serosanguineous (pink, watery) drainage
- Sanguineous (bright red) drainage
- Purulent (thick, cloudy, foul-smelling) drainage (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Purulent (thick, cloudy, foul-smelling) drainage
Purulent exudate is thick, cloudy, and often malodorous, reflecting bacterial colonization and an active infectious process.
Question 3: A wound that has not progressed through the normal healing stages after 4 weeks is classified as a(n):
- Acute wound
- Chronic wound (Correct answer)
- Dehisced wound
- Contaminated wound
Correct answer: Chronic wound
A chronic wound is defined by failure to heal within an expected timeframe, generally more than 4 weeks without meaningful progress.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a wet-to-dry dressing?
- Provide a continuous moist healing environment
- Perform mechanical debridement of necrotic tissue (Correct answer)
- Protect the wound from external contamination
- Deliver topical antibiotics to the wound bed
Correct answer: Perform mechanical debridement of necrotic tissue
Wet-to-dry dressings adhere to necrotic tissue as they dry and remove it mechanically when the dressing is changed.
Question 5: Which agent is most commonly used for enzymatic (chemical) debridement of necrotic wound tissue?
- Povidone-iodine
- Silver sulfadiazine
- Collagenase (Santyl) (Correct answer)
- Mupirocin (Bactroban)
Correct answer: Collagenase (Santyl)
Collagenase (Santyl) is an enzymatic debriding agent that selectively breaks down necrotic collagen without harming healthy tissue.
Question 6: When documenting a wound assessment, which set of data is MOST important for the LPN to record?
- Patient's pain rating only
- Wound location, size, depth, exudate type, and tissue type in the wound bed (Correct answer)
- Only the type and brand of dressing applied
- Patient's vital signs taken at the time of dressing change
Correct answer: Wound location, size, depth, exudate type, and tissue type in the wound bed
Complete wound documentation requires objective measurements and descriptive data including location, dimensions, depth, exudate, and tissue type to track healing progress.
Question 7: To accurately measure wound depth during assessment, the LPN should:
- Place a tape measure across the wound opening
- Insert a sterile cotton-tipped swab perpendicularly into the deepest part of the wound (Correct answer)
- Estimate depth visually from the bedside
- Lay a ruler flat across the wound surface
Correct answer: Insert a sterile cotton-tipped swab perpendicularly into the deepest part of the wound
A sterile cotton-tipped swab inserted perpendicularly to the deepest point of the wound is the standard technique for measuring wound depth.
LPN Wound Care and Skin Integrity 2
When performing wound irrigation, which pressure range effectively removes debris without causing tissue damage?