Fundamental Chapter 32

The nurse and client are looking at the client's heel pressure injury. The client asks, "Why does my heel look black?" What is the nurse's appropriate response?

"That is necrotic tissue, which must be removed to promote healing." Wounds that are brown or black are necrotic and not considered normal. Slough is dead moist, stringy dead tissue on the wound surface that is yellow, tan, gray, or green. Undermining is tissue erosion from underneath intact skin at the wound edge.

A nurse is teaching a nursing student about surgical drains and their purposes. The nursing student understands that the purpose for a T-tube drain is:

A T-tube is used to drain bile, such as after a cholecystectomy. A Penrose drain provides a sinus tract for drainage. Hemovac and Jackson-Pratt drains both decrease dead space by decreasing drainage. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt diverts drainage to the peritoneal cavity.

The client, after undergoing an appendectomy for a ruptured appendix, has an open drain left in the wound. The health care provider prescribes removal of 2 in (5 cm) of drain every day. Which action will the nurse take?

A drain is left in the wound to assist with capillary drainage of fluids, especially after a ruptured appendix. A safety pin or clip is placed on the drain to prevent it from slipping into the wound. As the nurse withdraws the drain, the safety pin or clip must be relocated to keep the drain at the correct location. There should be no need to apply extra dressing as the drainage is usually decreased by this time, which is part of the rationale to slowly remove it. There is no need to weigh the soiled dressing. The nurse should document and record the response of the client after all interactions, not just this technique.

The nurse is caring for a client with a knee sprain. What guidelines will the nurse teach the client about using an ice pack at home?

A layer of cloth is needed between the ice pack and skin to preserve skin integrity. Cold therapy should be removed, and the nurse contacted if the skin becomes mottled or numb or if it becomes painful. The ice pack can be in place for no more than 20 minutes at a time. It is abnormal and could cause skin damage if the skin becomes very cold, numb, or if the client experiences pain. Keeping an ice pack on until the ice melts is not a good measurement of time and will vary due to the size of the pack and the amount and consistency of the ice. Keeping the area immobile is not significant or important in cold therapy.

A pediatric nurse is familiar with specific characteristics of skin across the life span. Which statement accurately describes skin characteristics?

A pediatric nurse is familiar with specific characteristics of skin across the life span. Which statement accurately describes skin characteristics?

The nurse is preparing to measure the depth of a client's tunneled wound. Which implement should the nurse use to measure the depth accurately?

A sterile, flexible applicator is the safest implement to use. A small plastic ruler is not sterile. A sterile tongue blade lubricated with water soluble gel is too large to use in a wound bed. An otic curette is a surgical instrument designed for scraping or debriding biological tissue or debris in a biopsy, excision, or cleaning procedure and not flexible.

The nurse is caring for an older adult client in a long-term care facility. What nurse action is important to maintain skin integrity?

Because activity of the sebaceous and sweat glands decreases, the skin will become dryer and the client may have pruritis. The perineal area should be washed daily but the nurse should avoid full bathing of the body on a daily basis. Harsh soaps should be avoided and only used sparingly. The fluid intake should be increased unless otherwise contraindicated by medical condition. Pressure points are not related to the action of sebaceous and sweat gland activity, but the pressure points should be checked for redness after 30 minutes.

A medical-surgical nurse is assisting a wound care nurse with the debridement of a client's coccyx wound. What is the primary goal of this action?

Debridement is the act of removing debris and devitalized tissue in order to promote healing and reduce the risk of infection. Debridement does not directly stimulate the wound bed, and the goal is neither assessment nor the prevention of maceration.

A postoperative client says during a transfer, "I feel like something just popped." The nurse immediately assesses for:

Dehiscence is a total or partial disruption of wound edges. Clients often report feeling that the incision has given way. Manifestations of infection include redness, warmth, swelling, and fever. With herniation, there is protrusion through a bodily opening. Evisceration is a term that describes protrusion of intra-abdominal contents.

A postoperative client is being transferred from the bed to a gurney and states, "I feel like something has just given away." What should the nurse assess in the client?

Dehiscence is the partial or total separation of wound layers as a result of excessive stress on wounds that are not healed. Clients at greater risk for these complications include those who are obese or malnourished, smoke tobacco, use anticoagulants, have infected wounds, or experience excessive coughing, vomiting, or straining. An increase in the flow of fluid from the wound between postoperative days 4 and 5 may be a sign of an impending dehiscence. The client may say that "something has suddenly given way." If dehiscence occurs, cover the wound area with sterile towels moistened with sterile 0.9% sodium chloride solution and notify the physician. Once dehiscence occurs, the wound is managed like any open wound. Manifestations of infection include redness, warmth, swelling, and heat. With herniation, there is protrusion through a bodily opening. Evisceration is a term that describes protrusion of intra-abdominal contents.

The nurse is assessing a client's surgical wound after abdominal surgery and sees viscera protruding through the abdominal wound opening. Which term best describes this complication?

Evisceration is the protrusion of viscera through an abdominal wound opening. Evisceration can follow dehiscence if the opening extends deeply enough to allow the abdominal fascia to separate and internal organs to protrude.

Which is considered a skin appendage?

Hair, the sebaceous gland, and eccrine sweat glands are skin appendages that are formed with the enfolding of the epidermis into the dermis. The dermis is composed of connective tissue not skin appendage.

A nurse is treating a client who has a wound with full-thickness tissue loss and edges that do not readily approximate. The nurse knows that the open wound will gradually fill with granulation tissue. Which type of wound healing is this?

Healing by secondary intention occurs in wounds with edges that do not readily approximate. The wound gradually fills with granulation tissue, and eventually epithelial cells migrate across the granulation base. Wounds with minimal tissue loss, such as clean surgical incisions and shallow sutured wounds, heal by primary intention. The edges of the wound are approximated and the risk of infection is lower when a wound heals in this manner. Maturation is the final stage of full-thickness wound healing. Tertiary intention occurs when there is a delay between injury and wound closure. The delay may occur when a deep wound is not sutured immediately or is left open until no sign of infection is evident.

A nurse removing sutures from a client's traumatic wound notices that the sutures are encrusted with blood and difficult to remove. What would be the nurse's most appropriate action?

If sutures are crusted with dried blood or secretions, making them difficult to remove, the nurse should moisten sterile gauze with sterile saline and gently loosen crusts before removing the sutures; soap is not used for this purpose. Picking at the sutures could cause pain and bleeding. Crusting does not necessarily indicate inadequate wound healing.

A nurse is removing the staples from a client's surgical incision, as ordered. After removing the first few staples, the nurse notes that the edges of the wound pull apart as each staple is removed. What is the nurse's best action?

If there are signs of dehiscence, the nurse should stop removing staples and inform the surgeon. The surgeon may or may not order further staple removal. An occlusive dressing or ABD pad will not adequately prevent further dehiscence.

The nurse would recognize which client as being particularly susceptible to impaired wound healing?

Obese people tend to be more vulnerable to skin irritation and injury. More significant, however, is the role of diabetes in creating both susceptibility to skin breakdown and impairment of the healing process. This is a greater risk factor for impaired healing than are smoking and sedentary lifestyle. Large incisions in and of themselves do not necessarily complicate the healing process. Short-term lack of food intake is not as significant as longer-term lack of nutrition.

A client who was injured when stepping on a rusted nail visits the health care facility. What is the most important assessment information the nurse needs to obtain?

Staging the wound is only done with pressure injuries. The presence of dirt or debris is something that will need to be addressed, but not the most important assessment. Understanding how the client stepped on the nail will need to be noted and is a possible educational opportunity for prevention, but it is not the most important assessment concern. Tetanus is caused by the Clostridium bacteria that can enter the body through a deep injury like stepping on a nail. The tetanus vaccine booster should be given every 10 years and is the best defense against developing the tetanus illness. Tetanus is a concern because it is a painful medical emergency that could lead to death. So, finding out the status of the client's tetanus immunization is the most important assessment information the nurse can collect from the client.

The nurse is caring for a client with an ankle sprain. Which client statement regarding an ice pack indicates that nursing teaching has been effective?

Teaching has been effective when the client understands that a layer of cloth is needed between the ice pack and skin to preserve skin integrity. The ice pack should be removed if the skin becomes mottled or numb; this indicates that the cold therapy is too cold. The ice pack can be in place for no more than 20-30 minutes at a time, and a minimum of 30 minutes should go by before it is reapplied.

The nurse in the long-term care facility observes that a client has developed a sacral pressure wound, which is very red and surrounded by blisters. Which stage of pressure injury does this client present?

The area of redness and blister formation indicate that the client is experiencing a stage II pressure injury. A stage I pressure injury is intact but reddened. A stage III pressure injury has a shallow skin crater that extends to the subcutaneous tissue. A stage IV pressure injury is severe; the tissue is deeply ulcerated and exposes muscle and bone with the presence of necrotic tissue likely.

The nurse is performing frequent skin assessment at the site where cold therapy has been in place. The nurse notes pallor at the site and the client reports "it feels numb." What is the best action by the nurse at this time?

The best action by the nurse at this time is to discontinue the therapy and assess the client; this should be done before notifying the health care provider or documenting the event. Gently rubbing the area or massaging it would not be appropriate at this time.

To determine a client's risk for pressure injury development, it is most important for the nurse to ask the client which question?

The client's health history is an essential component in assessing the client's integumentary status and identification of risk factors for problems with the skin. The priority question addresses a source of moisture on the skin. Moisture makes the skin more susceptible to injury because it can create an environment in which microorganisms can multiply, and the skin is more likely to blister, suffer abrasions, and become macerated (softening or disintegration of the skin in response to moisture). Sound nutrition is important in the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries. The number of meals eaten per day does not give a clear assessment of nutritional status. The nurse should question the client about the skin care regimen, such as the use of lotions, but this would not be the priority in determining the risk for pressure injury development. Asking the client about any recent illnesses is not a priority in determining the risk for pressure injury development. Reference:

The nurse observes the presence of intestinal contents protruding from the client's surgical wound after colon resection. What action will the nurse take?

The first thing the nurse will do is cover the protruding intestine with a saline solution-moistened gauze. The nurse will then notify the health care provider of wound evisceration. If the protruding intestine is left open to the air, it may cause drying of the fragile tissue and necrosis to the area. The nurse should not pack anything into the wound since foreign body retention may cause complications at a later time if the gauze is not recovered. The occurrence of wound evisceration is not an expected finding and may be serious depending upon whether the protruding area is viable.

Collection of a wound culture has been ordered for a client whose traumatic hand wound is showing signs of infection. When collecting this laboratory specimen, which action should the nurse take?

The nurse should press and rotate the swab several times over the wound surface. The swab should be inserted into the culture tube at the bedside, immediately after collection. Saline or any other fluid is not added to the tube and anesthetics are not applied prior to collection.

The nurse is assessing the wounds of clients. Which clients would the nurse place at risk for delayed wound healing? Select all that apply.

There are several clients that would be at risk for delayed wound healing. The older adult who is bedridden would be at risk. Older adults are at a greater risk for pressure injury formation because the aging skin is more susceptible to injury. Chronic and debilitating diseases, more common in this age group, may adversely affect circulation and oxygenation of dermal structures. Other problems, such as malnutrition and immobility, compound the risk of pressure injury development in older adults. A client with a peripheral vascular disorder would also be at risk due to issues with the peripheral circulation to the wound. An obese client would be at risk. The obese client may be malnourished or, simply because of the obesity, the client could be at risk. A client who is taking corticosteroid drugs would also be at risk. Corticosteroid drugs interfere with the immune system of the client. A client who eats a diet high in vitamins A and C would not be at risk for delayed wound healing. A 10-year old client with a surgical incision would not be at risk for delayed wound healin

The acute care nurse is caring for a client whose large surgical wound is healing by secondary intention. The client asks, "Why is my wound still open? Will it ever heal?" Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

This statement is correct, because it provides education to the client: "Your wound will heal slowly as granulation tissue forms and fills the wound." Large wounds with extensive tissue loss may not be able to be closed by primary intention, which is surgical intervention. Secondary intention, in which the wound is left open and closes naturally, is not done if less of a scar is necessary. Third intention is when a wound is left open for a few days and then, if there is no indication of infection, closed by a surgeon.

The nurse is helping a confused client with a large leg wound order dinner. Which food item is most appropriate for the nurse to select to promote wound healing?

To promote wound healing, the nurse should ensure that the client's diet is high in protein, vitamin A, and vitamin C. The fish is high in protein and is therefore the most appropriate choice to promote wound healing. Pasta salad has a high carbohydrate amount with no protein. Banana has a high amount of vitamin C but no protein. Green beans have some protein but not as much as fish.

The nurse is preparing to insert an IV for a client with dehydration. Which dressing supply will the nurse gather to take in the client's room?

Transparent dressings are used to protect intravenous insertion sites. Adhesive strips with eyelets are used with gauze dressings to absorb blood or drainage. Hydrocolloid dressings are used to used keep a wound moist.

A nurse is caring for a 78-year-old client who was admitted after a femur fracture. The primary care provider placed the client on bed rest. Which action should the nurse perform to prevent a pressure injury?

Using pillows to maintain a side-lying position allows the nursing staff to change position to alleviate and alternate pressure on client's bony prominences. The client's position should be changed a minimum of every 2 hours. In addition, incontinent care should be performed a minimum of every 2 hours and as needed to decrease moisture and irritation of the skin. A foot board prevents foot drop but does not decrease the risk for pressure injury.

A nurse is cleaning the wound of a client who has been injured by a gunshot. Which guideline is recommended for this procedure?

Using sterile technique, clean the wound from the top to the bottom and from the center to the outside. Dry the area with a gauze sponge, not an absorbent cloth.

The client is scheduled to receive dressing changes and warm soaks twice a day for an abscess to the lower extremity. The incoming nurse receives in the handoff report that the client has not been tolerating the dressing changes or warm soaks well due to acute pain. What action should the nurse take to promote client comfort and increase the effectiveness of the treatments?

Warm soaks and dressing changes can be painful for clients with abscesses. Often, nurses will premedicate with pain medications, often opioids, 20 to 30 minutes prior to make the treatments more comfortable for clients. Increasing client comfort can increase effectiveness by allowing the nurse time to adequately perform the treatment, assess the wound, and apply the new dressing. Aquathermia pads are used to promote wound healing, but they are not used simultaneously with water therapies. Dangling the legs and ambulating will not increase comfort.

The nurse is assessing the wounds of clients in a burn unit. Which wound would most likely heal by primary intention?

Wounds healed by primary intention are well approximated (skin edges tightly together). Intentional wounds with minimal tissue loss, such as those made by a surgical incision with sutured approximated edges, usually heal by primary intention. Wounds healed by secondary intention have edges that are not well approximated. Large, open wounds, such as from burns or major trauma, which require more tissue replacement and are often contaminated, commonly heal by secondary intention. If a wound that is healing by primary intention becomes infected, it will heal by secondary intention. Wounds that heal by secondary intention take longer to heal and form more scar tissue. Connective tissue healing and repair follow the same phases in healing. However, differences occur in the length of time required for each phase and in the extent of new tissue formed. Wounds healed by tertiary intention, or delayed primary closure, are those wounds left open for several days to allow edema or infection to resolve or fluid to drain, and then are closed.