Chapter 4: Removing Sutures or Staples Flashcards
Who’s often the responsibility to remove sutures or staples in the office that were previously inserted in the hospital or emergency room?
The MA.
What is the first step on removing sutures?
Wear clean, non-sterile gloves and use a disposable suture removal kit.
What does the Disposable Suture Removal Kit contains?
Suture scissors, thumb forceps, alcohol swab and gauze squares.
What is the second step on removing sutures?
Wipe the suture line with alcohol swab.
What happens if there is dried fluid covering the sutures?
Soak gauze squares with sterile water, saline or antiseptic solution and loosen the dried fluids so they can be wiped away.
What is the third step on removing sutures?
With the forceps pull up on the suture using the suture scissors, cut close to the knot on one side of the suture.
What is the fourth step on removing sutures?
Grab the knot with the forceps, pull it up, and the entire suture will come out in one continuous thread.
What can be places over the wound to provide support and should be left on until the day they fall off naturally in a couple of days?
Adhesive skin strips.
Staples are typically removed with?
A sterile staple remover that looks like an uneven pair of scissors.
How does a Sterile Staple Remover work?
By pinching the staple in the center, so the ends of the staple lift out of the skin for easy removal.
Where are used staples discarded?
In a sharps container.
