Chapter 33: Skin Integrity and Wound Care

To determine a client's risk for pressure injury development, it is most important for the nurse to ask the client which question? "Do you experience incontinence?" "How many meals a day do you eat?" "Do you use any lotions on your skin?" "Have you had any recent illnesses?"

"Do you experience incontinence?"

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? "I should keep this on my ankle until it is numb." "I must wait 15 minutes between applications of cold therapy." "I will put a layer of cloth between my skin and the ice pack." "I can let this stay on my ankle an hour at a time."

"I will put a layer of cloth between my skin and the ice pack."

A nurse is providing discharge instructions for a client who had a colon resection and has a Hemovac drain in place. Which statement indicates that the client understands? "I will check and empty the drain every 6 hours." "I will squeeze the chamber and apply the cap to maintain negative pressure." "I will apply a dressing at the end of the drain to catch any drainage." "I will alternate between positive and negative pressure every 2 hours."

"I will squeeze the chamber and apply the cap to maintain negative pressure."

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? "This is normal tissue." "That is old clotted blood underneath the wound" "That is called undermining, a type of tissue erosion." "That is necrotic tissue, which must be removed to promote healing."

"That is necrotic tissue, which must be removed to promote healing."

A client who had a knee replacement asks the nurse, "Why do I need this little bulb coming out of my knee?" What is the appropriate nursing response? "The drain has measurement marks on it so that nurses can measure the amount of drainage and report it the health care provider." "The drain allows removal of blood and drainage from the surgical wound, which enables healing and protects the skin around the wound." "The drain works by suctioning out blood and drainage from the wound and will be removed when there is minimal or no drainage." "This drain is called a Jackson-Pratt or bulb drain and is compressed and closed shut to create a gentle suction."

"The drain allows removal of blood and drainage from the surgical wound, which enables healing and protects the skin around the wound."

The nurse is teaching a client about healing of a minor surgical wound by first intention. What teaching will the nurse include? "Very little scar tissue will form." "This is a complex reparative process." "The margins of your wound are not in direct contact." "The surgeon will leave your wound open intentionally for a period of time."

"Very little scar tissue will form."

x 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? "Your wound will heal slowly as granulation tissue forms and fills the wound." "Your surgeon may not have been skilled enough to close such a large wound, but it will eventually heal." "If less scar tissue is essential, wounds are allowed to heal slowly through a process called secondary intention." "As soon as the infection clears, your surgeon will staple the wound closed."

"Your wound will heal slowly as granulation tissue forms and fills the wound."

A pediatric nurse is familiar with specific characteristics of skin across the life span. Which statement accurately describes skin characteristics? An infant's skin and mucous membranes are easily injured and at risk for infection. In children younger than 2 years, the skin is thicker and stronger than in adults. A child's skin becomes less resistant to injury and infection as the child grows. An individual's skin changes little over the life span.

An infant's skin and mucous membranes are easily injured and at risk for infection.

The nurse has removed the sutures and is now planning to apply wound closure strips. What should the nurse do before applying the strips? Apply a skin protectant to the skin around the incision. Apply a skin protectant to the incision site. Apply a sterile gauze sponge over the incision site. Apply a transparent dressing over the incision site.

Apply a skin protectant to the skin around the incision.

The nurse observes the presence of intestinal contents protruding from the client's surgical wound after colon resection. What action will the nurse take? Allow the wound and intestinal contents to remain open to air. Apply saline solution-moistened gauze over the protruding area. Pack the wound with gauze pads and a dry sterile dressing. Inform the client that this is an expected occurrence and not to worry.

Apply saline solution-moistened gauze over the protruding area.

x The nurse observes the presence of intestinal contents protruding from the client's surgical wound after colon resection. What action will the nurse take? Allow the wound and intestinal contents to remain open to air. Apply saline solution-moistened gauze over the protruding area. Pack the wound with gauze pads and a dry sterile dressing. Inform the client that this is an expected occurrence and not to worry.

Apply saline solution-moistened gauze over the protruding area.

A client reports acute pain while negative pressure wound therapy is in place. What should the nurse do first? Assess the client's wound and vital signs. Administer the prescribed analgesic. Notify the health care provider of the pain. Document the pain and vital signs.

Assess the client's wound and vital signs.

A nurse is admitting a client to a long-term care facility. What should the nurse plan to use to assess the client for risk of pressure injury development?] Glasgow scale Braden scale FLACC scale Morse scale

Braden scale

A client comes to the emergency department reporting a painful left ankle, headache, and dizziness, after falling off a skateboard and sliding on the sidewalk. For what type of injuries would the nurse be alert? Select all that apply. Broken left ankle Bruising Soft tissue damage Concussion Abrasions Dehydration

Broken left ankle Bruising Soft tissue damage Concussion Abrasions

A nurse is cleaning the wound of a client who has been injured by a gunshot. Which guideline is recommended for this procedure? Use clean technique to clean the wound. Clean the wound in a circular pattern, beginning on the perimeter of the wound. Clean the wound from the top to the bottom and from the center to outside. Once the wound is cleaned, gently dry the wound bed with an absorbent cloth.

Clean the wound from the top to the bottom and from the center to outside.

Which is not considered a skin appendage? Hair Connective tissue Sebaceous gland Eccrine sweat glands

Connective tissue

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? Infection of the wound Herniation of the wound Dehiscence of the wound Evisceration of the viscera

Dehiscence of the wound

The wound care nurse evaluates a client's wound after being consulted. The client's wound healing has been slow. Upon assessment of the wound, the wound care nurse informs the medical-surgical nurse that the wound healing is being delayed due to the client's state of dehydration and dehydrated tissues in the wound that are crusty. What is another term for localized dehydration in a wound? Desiccation Maceration Necrosis Evisceration

Desiccation

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? Discontinue the therapy and assess the client. Notify the health care provider of the findings. Document the findings in the client's medical record. Gently rub and massage the area to warm it up.

Discontinue the therapy and assess the client.

The nurse is performing an assessment of a client's full thickness pressure injury to the coccyx. The nurse observes that the wound bed is black and will consequently document what finding? Eschar Granulation tissue Gangrene Erythema

Eschar

A nurse has applied a bandage to a client's arm from just above the wrist to just below the elbow. What finding(s) would suggest to the nurse that there are no circulatory complications? Select all that apply. Fingers with quick capillary refill Warm hand Decreased radial pulse Cyanosis No finger numbness or tingling

Fingers with quick capillary refill Warm hand No finger numbness or tingling

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? Pasta salad Fish Banana Green beans

Fish

The nurse is caring for a client on the unit. During change of shift, another nurse is observed doing what is pictured in the image. What is the most important reason this technique does not adhere to the standards of care for dressing changes? Promotes coolness to the site, which further constricts blood flow d Causes an uncomfortable sensation to the client's skin Reduces itching to the wound as it is healing

Increases the risk of infection by contaminating the wound

The nurse is caring for a client who has a wound to the right forearm following a motor vehicle accident. The primary care provider has ordered culture of the wound. Which action should the nurse perform in obtaining a wound culture? Cleanse the wound after obtaining the wound culture. Stroke the culture swab on surrounding skin first. Utilize the culture swab to obtain cultures from multiple sites. Keep the swab and the inside of the culture tube sterile prior to collecting the culture.

Keep the swab and the inside of the culture tube sterile prior to collecting the culture.

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? Moisten sterile gauze with sterile saline to gently loosen crusts before removing sutures. Wash the sutures with warm, sterile water and an antimicrobial soap before removing them. Carefully pick the crusts off the sutures with the forceps before removing them. Do not attempt to remove the sutures because the wound needs more time to heal.

Moisten sterile gauze with sterile saline to gently loosen crusts before removing sutures.

The nurse is caring for a client with a stage 2 pressure injury. Which intervention will help prevent shearing force? Preventing the client from sliding in bed Pulling the sheets to reposition the client every 2 hours Improving the client's hydration Gently pulling the client up from under the arms

Preventing the client from sliding in bed

A postoperative client is recovering from a bowel resection. While the nurse is assisting the client with a transfer, the client states "I feel like something just popped." After returning the client safely to bed, which is the nurse's best action? Reassure the client that this is expected in the immediate post-op period Assess the client for signs of an abdominal hernia Promptly assess for dehiscence Document the presence of evisceration

Promptly assess for dehiscence

The nurse is caring for a client who has a deep wound and whose saline-moistened wound dressing has been changed every 12 hours. While removing the old dressing, the nurse notes that the packing material is dry and adheres to the wound bed. Which modification is most appropriate? Reduce the time interval between dressing changes. Assure that the packing material is completely saturated when placed in the wound. Use less packing material. Discontinue application of saline-moistened packing and apply a hydrocolloid dressing instead.

Reduce the time interval between dressing changes.

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? Remove the swab from the client's room immediately after collection and insert it in the culture tube at the nurse's station. Apply a topical anesthetic to the wound bed 30 minutes before collecting the specimen to prevent pain. Rotate the swab several times over the wound surface to obtain an adequate specimen. Apply a small amount of normal saline to the swab after collection to prevent drying and contamination of the specimen.

Rotate the swab several times over the wound surface to obtain an adequate specimen.

A client's pressure injury is superficial and presents clinically as an abrasion, blister, or shallow crater. How would the nurse document this pressure injury? Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV

Stage II

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? If there is contamination of dirt and debris The event leading up to the trauma Staging the wound for assessment The status of the client's tetanus immunization

The status of the client's tetanus immunization

What intervention should the nurse teach the client to support the underlying tissues and decrease discomfort after removal of surgical staples? To splint the area when engaging in activity To ambulate using a cane or walker To remain in bed for the next 4 hours To turn the head away from the area whenever coughing

To splint the area when engaging in activity

The nurse considers the impact of shearing forces in the development of pressure injuries in clients. Which client would be most likely to develop a pressure injury from shearing forces? a client sitting in a chair who slides down a client who lifts himself up on the elbows a client who lies on wrinkled sheets a client who must remain on the back for long periods of time

a client sitting in a chair who slides down

An older adult client has been admitted to the hospital with dehydration, and the nurse has inserted a peripheral intravenous line into the client's forearm to facilitate rehydration. What type of dressing will the nurse apply over the client's venous access site? a transparent film a gauze dressing precut halfway to fit around the IV line a dressing with a nonadherent coating a gauze dressing premedicated with antibiotics

a transparent film

The client has a minor laceration to the finger, sustained when a client was cutting fruit with a knife in the kitchen. Which nursing concern will the nurse identify for this client's care plan? altered skin integrity due to open wound pain due to wound sustained by knife knowledge deficiency regarding wound care related to laceration infection risk due to wound

altered skin integrity due to open wound

The nurse would recognize which client as being particularly susceptible to impaired wound healing? an obese woman with a history of type 1 diabetes a client whose breast reconstruction surgery required numerous incisions a man with a sedentary lifestyle and a long history of cigarette smoking A client who is NPO (nothing by mouth) following bowel surgery

an obese woman with a history of type 1 diabetes

A client recovering from abdominal surgery sneezes and then screams, "My insides are hanging out!" What is the initial nursing intervention? contacting the surgeon applying sterile dressings with normal saline over the protruding organs and tissue assessing for impaired blood flow to the area of evisceration. monitoring for pallor and mottled appearance of the wound

applying sterile dressings with normal saline over the protruding organs and tissue

A client's hand was severely wounded upon coming in contact with a running lawn mower blade. The nurse notes that large amounts of flesh are missing and the bones of two fingers are visible. How will the nurse document this assessment finding? puncture laceration contusion avulsion

avulsion

A teacher brings a student to the school nurse and explains that the student fell onto both knees while running in the hallway. The knees have since turned shades of blue and purple. Which type of injury does the nurse anticipate assessing? contusion incision avulsion puncture

contusion

The nurse is preparing to apply a roller bandage to the stump of a client who had a below-the-knee amputation. What is the nurse's first action? exerting equal, but not excessive, tension with each turn of the bandage wrapping distally to proximally elevating and supporting the stump keeping the bandage free of gaps between turn

elevating and supporting the stump

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? fistula dehiscence hemorrhage evisceration

evisceration

A nurse is caring for a postsurgical client with a Jackson-Pratt drain. Which type of wound drainage should the nurse report to the health care provider as an indication of infection? foul-smelling drainage that is grayish in color copious drainage that is blood-tinged large amounts of drainage that is clear and watery and has no smell small amount of drainage that appears to be mostly fresh blood

foul-smelling drainage that is grayish in color

A nurse is caring for a client with laceration wounds on the knee. The nurse notes that the client is in remodeling phase of wound repair. Which statement describes this phase of wound recovery? physiologic defense immediately after the tissue injury period during which new cells fill and seal a wound process by which damaged cells recover and reestablish normal function period during which the wound undergoes changes and maturation

period during which the wound undergoes changes and maturation

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? removing dead or infected tissue to promote wound healing stimulating the wound bed to promote the growth of granulation tissue removing purulent drainage from the wound bed in order to accurately assess it removing excess drainage and wet tissue to prevent maceration of surrounding skin

removing dead or infected tissue to promote wound healing

A nurse is caring for a client in a wound care clinic. The client has a wound on the right heel that is 2 cm × 4 cm. The wound is a maroon color and looks like a blood-filled blister. Which stage should the nurse document for this wound? suspected deep tissue injury stage II wound stage III pressure injury unstageable wound

suspected deep tissue injury

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: to provide a sinus tract for drainage. to provide drainage for bile. to decrease dead space by decreasing drainage. to divert drainage to the peritoneal cavity.

to provide drainage for bile.

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? elevate the head of the bed 90 degrees use pillows to maintain a side-lying position as needed provide incontinent care every 4 hours as needed place a foot board on the bed

use pillows to maintain a side-lying position as needed