Wound Care & Tissue Viability Flashcards
7 cards from real NMC OSCE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Wound Care & Tissue Viability flashcards as text
A patient has a dry, necrotic wound with hard eschar. Which dressing type would best facilitate autolytic debridement?
Answer: Hydrogel dressing
Hydrogel dressings donate moisture to dry, necrotic wounds, rehydrating eschar and enabling the body's own enzymes to break down devitalised tissue through autolytic debridement.
Which pressure ulcer risk assessment tool is most widely used and recommended in UK clinical practice?
Answer: Waterlow Score
The Waterlow Score was developed specifically for UK NHS settings and is the most widely used and recommended pressure ulcer risk assessment tool in UK clinical practice.
A patient presents with a venous leg ulcer. In which anatomical location is a venous leg ulcer MOST commonly found?
Answer: In the gaiter area around the medial malleolus
Venous leg ulcers characteristically develop in the gaiter area, particularly around and above the medial malleolus, due to venous hypertension and pooling in this region.
Before applying compression bandaging to a patient with a leg ulcer, which investigation is ESSENTIAL to rule out arterial insufficiency?
Answer: Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI)
ABPI must be measured before applying compression bandaging to confirm adequate arterial blood supply, as compression is contraindicated in significant arterial disease.
According to NICE guidelines, when should a wound swab be taken for microbiological analysis?
Answer: When clinical signs of infection are present
Wound swabs should only be taken when clinical signs of infection are present (erythema, warmth, increased pain, purulent exudate), as all wounds carry bacteria and routine swabbing is not recommended.
A patient is lying in a supine position. Which anatomical site is at GREATEST risk of pressure ulcer development?
Answer: Sacrum
The sacrum is the most common site for pressure ulcer development in supine patients, due to the high interface pressure over this prominent bony area combined with shear forces.
What is the minimum acceptable ABPI score required before full compression bandaging can be safely applied to a leg ulcer patient?
Answer: 0.8
An ABPI of 0.8 or above is generally required to safely apply full compression therapy, as lower scores indicate arterial insufficiency that could be worsened by compression.