Urgent Care Urgent Care for Lacerations and Wound Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Nylon sutures placed on the face should typically be removed after how many days?
- 3–5 days
- 5–7 days (Correct answer)
- 10–14 days
- 14–21 days
Correct answer: 5–7 days
Facial sutures are removed at 5–7 days to prevent track marks while allowing adequate initial healing.
Question 2: Which type of wound should NOT be closed primarily in urgent care?
- A 2 cm scalp laceration 4 hours old
- A puncture wound from a rusty nail (Correct answer)
- A clean 1 cm chin laceration in a child
- A 3 cm arm laceration with clean edges
Correct answer: A puncture wound from a rusty nail
Puncture wounds have a high risk of anaerobic infection and should not be closed primarily; they are left open or loosely approximated.
Question 3: A patient has a 4 cm scalp laceration that is actively bleeding. What is the first-line intervention?
- Immediate suturing under general anesthesia
- Direct pressure with a sterile gauze (Correct answer)
- Tourniquet application above the wound
- Cauterization with silver nitrate
Correct answer: Direct pressure with a sterile gauze
Direct pressure is always the first step in hemorrhage control for scalp lacerations before any procedural intervention.
Question 4: What suture size is most appropriate for closing a facial laceration in an adult?
- 0 or 1
- 2-0 or 3-0
- 4-0 or 5-0 (Correct answer)
- 6-0 or 7-0
Correct answer: 4-0 or 5-0
Fine sutures (4-0 or 5-0) are used on the face to minimize scarring while maintaining adequate tensile strength.
Question 5: Which finding indicates that a wound requires exploration for a possible foreign body?
- Wound caused by a glass object (Correct answer)
- Wound that is less than 1 cm deep
- Wound with clean linear edges
- Wound from a superficial paper cut
Correct answer: Wound caused by a glass object
Wounds caused by glass have a high likelihood of retained foreign body and require thorough exploration and often imaging.
Question 6: When is wound packing with moist gauze appropriate in urgent care?
- All lacerations regardless of contamination
- Abscesses after incision and drainage (Correct answer)
- Clean surgical wounds post-procedure
- Superficial abrasions with intact skin
Correct answer: Abscesses after incision and drainage
After incision and drainage of an abscess, the cavity is packed with moist gauze to allow healing from the inside out and prevent premature closure.
Urgent Care Urgent Care for Lacerations and Wound Care 2
Nylon sutures placed on the face should typically be removed after how many days?