Chapter 32: Skin integrity and wound care

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?

use pillows to maintain a side-lying position as needed

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

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

Apply saline solution-moistened gauze over the protruding area.

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?

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

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

dehiscence

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?"

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 of the wound

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."

A nurse applies an aquathermia pad to the back of a client with arthritis. What administration considerations should the nurse use? Select all that apply.

Apply a bath blanket over the aquathermia pad, Asses skin and pain level at baseline and ongoing, Check the water level in the aquathermia unit periodically.

A child is brought to the clinic by a parent. The parent states that the child has been at camp. The child has a rash on the face, arms, and legs. The child states it itches severely. How will the nurse describe the assessment findings?

Diffuse dermatitis accompanied by pruritus

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?

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.

A full-thickness or third-degree burn develops a leathery covering called a(an):

eschar

A nurse is caring for a post-surgical 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

The nurse is caring for a client who had surgery 24 hours ago and is experiencing severe pain. The client states, "My pain medication is effective, but will this pain ever get better and go away?" Which response is correct?

"Incisional pain is usually most severe for the first 2 to 3 days, and then it progressively becomes less severe."

The registered nurse (RN) observes the licensed practical nurse (LPN) preforming this action when applying a topical gel to a client's surgical wound during a dressing change. What instructions should the RN provide the LPN regarding this action?

"To best avoid further traumatizing the wound bed, apply the gel with a sterile cotton tip applicator."

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

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?

Braden scale

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

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

A nurse is caring for a client on a medical-surgical unit who has had an evisceration of an abdominal wound after a coughing episode. Which action by the nurse is appropriate in this situation? Select all that apply.

Covering the wound with a gauze moistened with normal saline, Placing the client in the low Fowler position, Using sterile technique

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.

A client recovering from abdominal surgery sneezes and then screams, "My insides are hanging out!" What is the initial nursing intervention?

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

What type of dressing is occlusive or semi-occlusive, limits exchange of oxygen between wound and environment, provides minimal to moderate absorption of drainage, maintains a moist wound environment, and may be left in place for three to seven days, thus resulting in less interference with healing?

hydrocolloid

A nurse is assessing a client's surgical wound and sees drainage that is pale pink-yellow and thin and contains plasma and red cells. What is this type of drainage?

serosanguineous

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

an obese woman with a history of type 1 diabetes

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

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?

Fish

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?

"Very little scar tissue will form."

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?

Stage II

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

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

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

A surgical incision with sutured approximated edges

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

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, No finger rumbness or tingling

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

Upon review of a postoperative client's medication list, the nurse recognizes that which medication will delay the healing of the operative wound?

corticosteroids

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