Orthopaedic Technologist Certified Test Orthopaedic Technologist Certified Wound Care and Soft Tissue Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which wound closure method uses adhesive strips such as Steri-Strips rather than sutures or staples?
- Primary closure with sutures
- Delayed primary closure
- Secondary intention healing
- Tape closure (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Tape closure
Tape closure uses adhesive strips to approximate wound edges non-invasively and is appropriate for small, clean, low-tension lacerations.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of wound debridement in orthopaedic wound care?
- Promote scar formation
- Remove necrotic tissue and contamination to reduce infection risk (Correct answer)
- Apply topical antibiotics to the wound bed
- Provide a moist wound environment
Correct answer: Remove necrotic tissue and contamination to reduce infection risk
Debridement removes devitalized tissue, foreign material, and bacterial burden from the wound to create a clean bed that supports healing.
Question 3: When layering a wound dressing, which material should be placed in direct contact with the wound surface?
- Absorbent outer dressing
- Secondary foam dressing
- Non-adherent contact layer (Correct answer)
- Compression bandage
Correct answer: Non-adherent contact layer
A non-adherent contact layer (e.g., Adaptic, Telfa) placed directly on the wound prevents trauma during dressing changes and protects fragile granulating tissue.
Question 4: Wound healing where edges are directly approximated and closed with sutures or staples is referred to as healing by which intention?
- Secondary intention
- Tertiary intention
- Primary intention (Correct answer)
- Granulation
Correct answer: Primary intention
Primary intention (primary closure) occurs when wound edges are directly approximated, resulting in minimal scarring and the fastest healing time.
Question 5: A wound left open to heal from the base upward through granulation tissue formation is healing by which method?
- Primary intention
- Secondary intention (Correct answer)
- Tertiary intention
- Direct closure
Correct answer: Secondary intention
Secondary intention healing allows a wound to fill with granulation tissue from the bottom up when primary closure is not possible, such as in infected or contaminated wounds.
Question 6: What is the most appropriate first action when a surgical wound shows early signs of infection, including erythema, warmth, and purulent drainage?
- Apply a compression bandage
- Notify the treating physician immediately (Correct answer)
- Increase the frequency of dressing changes independently
- Apply topical antibiotic without physician order
Correct answer: Notify the treating physician immediately
Signs of wound infection must be promptly reported to the supervising physician so that appropriate intervention — antibiotics, wound opening, or cultures — can be ordered.
Orthopaedic Technologist Certified Test Orthopaedic Technologist Certified Wound Care and Soft Tissue Management 1
Which wound closure method uses adhesive strips such as Steri-Strips rather than sutures or staples?