CPC Wound Care and Skin Assessment

Question 1

When staging a pressure injury, which stage describes full-thickness skin loss with visible fat but no exposed bone, tendon, or muscle?

Accepted Answer

Stage 3

Answer

Stage 3 pressure injuries involve full-thickness skin loss with adipose tissue visible in the wound but without exposed bone, tendon, or muscle. Stage 4 involves exposure of underlying bone, muscle, or tendon.

Question 2

A community paramedic assesses a wound that has a yellow, stringy tissue covering the wound bed. This tissue is BEST described as:

Accepted Answer

Slough

Answer

Slough is yellow, tan, or gray stringy or mucinous devitalized tissue in the wound bed. Unlike eschar (dry, dark, leathery), slough is moist and typically requires debridement for wound healing to progress.

Question 3

For a patient with a venous leg ulcer, which dressing and compression approach is MOST evidence-based?

Accepted Answer

Moist wound dressing with multilayer compression bandaging achieving 30–40 mmHg at the ankle

Answer

Venous leg ulcers are caused by venous hypertension; the evidence-based treatment is compression therapy (multilayer bandaging to 30–40 mmHg at the ankle) combined with moist wound dressings. Compression is the single most effective intervention.

Question 4

The NERDS mnemonic for identifying critically colonized wounds includes which of the following criteria?

Accepted Answer

Non-healing wound, Exudate increase, Red and bleeding granulation, Debris, Smell

Answer

NERDS (Non-healing, Exudate increase, Red and bleeding granulation, Debris, Smell) identifies superficial critical colonization. The companion mnemonic STONEES identifies deeper infection extending to surrounding tissue.

Question 5

When assessing a diabetic foot ulcer, the Wagner Grading System classifies a wound with exposed bone and osteomyelitis as:

Accepted Answer

Grade 3

Answer

Wagner Grade 3 describes a deep ulcer with abscess, osteomyelitis, or joint sepsis — bone exposure with infection. Grade 4 is partial foot gangrene; Grade 5 is whole foot gangrene.

(CPC) Community Paramedic Certification Practice Test

(CPC) Community Paramedic Certification Practice Test

CPC Wound Care and Skin Assessment