OSCE Wound Care and Dressings 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient has a stage III pressure ulcer with heavy exudate and necrotic tissue. Which dressing type is MOST appropriate?
- Transparent film dressing
- Alginate dressing (Correct answer)
- Dry gauze dressing
- Hydrocolloid dressing
Correct answer: Alginate dressing
Alginate dressings are ideal for heavily exuding wounds as they absorb large amounts of fluid and can conform to wound cavities.
Question 2: During a wound assessment, you note the wound edges are rolled under (epibole). This finding indicates:
- Healthy wound healing progression
- Wound edges require mechanical disruption to resume healing (Correct answer)
- Infection is present
- Wound is ready for closure
Correct answer: Wound edges require mechanical disruption to resume healing
Epibole (rolled wound edges) indicates epithelial cells have migrated down the wound edges rather than across, requiring debridement or mechanical disruption to correct.
Question 3: A patient with a venous leg ulcer is being treated with compression therapy. The ABPI (Ankle-Brachial Pressure Index) is 0.5. What is the correct action?
- Apply full compression bandaging
- Apply light compression only
- Refer immediately; avoid compression (Correct answer)
- Increase compression to promote healing
Correct answer: Refer immediately; avoid compression
An ABPI below 0.6 indicates severe arterial insufficiency; compression is contraindicated and the patient requires urgent vascular referral.
Question 4: Which color in the wound bed assessment indicates the presence of slough?
- Red/pink
- Yellow/cream (Correct answer)
- Black
- Green
Correct answer: Yellow/cream
Yellow or cream-colored tissue in the wound bed indicates slough, which is devitalized fibrinous tissue that requires removal to promote healing.
Question 5: A patient has a surgical wound that is intentionally left open to heal from the base up. This is classified as:
- Primary intention healing
- Secondary intention healing (Correct answer)
- Tertiary intention healing
- Delayed primary closure
Correct answer: Secondary intention healing
Secondary intention healing occurs when wounds are left open and heal by granulation tissue formation, contraction, and epithelialization from the wound edges.
Question 6: When performing wound irrigation, what is the recommended pressure range to effectively cleanse without causing tissue damage?
- 1-4 psi
- 4-15 psi (Correct answer)
- 15-25 psi
- 25-40 psi
Correct answer: 4-15 psi
Irrigation pressure of 4-15 psi is effective at removing bacteria and debris without causing trauma to wound tissue or driving bacteria deeper.
Question 7: A hydrogel dressing is MOST appropriate for which wound type?
- Heavily exuding wounds
- Infected wounds requiring antimicrobial action
- Dry, necrotic wounds requiring rehydration (Correct answer)
- Wounds with heavy bleeding
Correct answer: Dry, necrotic wounds requiring rehydration
Hydrogel dressings donate moisture to dry wounds, making them ideal for rehydrating necrotic tissue to facilitate autolytic debridement.
OSCE Wound Care and Dressings 2
A patient has a stage III pressure ulcer with heavy exudate and necrotic tissue.
Which dressing type is MOST appropriate?