Wound Care Flashcards
What type of wound is an abrasion?
Acute wound
What type of wound is a pressure ulcer?
Chronic wound
What is an acute wound?
A recently inflicted wound that will usually heal
without problems, providing the appropriate
measures are taken to reduce the risk of infection and
support healing.
Give examples of acute wounds.
- Surgical incisions
- Lacerations
- Abrasions
- Bites and burn injuries
What are the five main functions of the skin?
- Regulation of body temperature
- Protection
- Sensation
- Excretion
- Synthesis of vitamin D
What are the layers of the skin?
Epidermis
Dermis
Subcutaneous Tissue
Fascia
Muscle
Bone
What are the signs and symptoms of inflammation?
- Warmth
- Swelling
- Erythema (abnormal redness of skin or mucous membranes)
- Discomfort
- Localised
- Systemically well
What are the signs and symptoms of infection?
- Hot
- Fluctuant
- Red
- Painful
- Spreading
- Ascending laryngitis
- Unwell
What is the correct documentation for a wound injury?
- Time / place of injury
- Mechanism of injury - how did it happen?
- Did the wound occur in a clean or dirty
environment? - Any home remedies or first aid treatment?
- Consider and document tetanus status
- Examine wound in position of injury
- Other symptoms; malaise, fever, numbness,
altered function etc. - Patient concerns
- Clinician concerns
- Shared decision making
What are the four stages of wound healing?
- Haemostasis
- Inflammation
- Proliferation
- Maturation/remodelling
What is haemostasis?
Bleeding is controlled by
clotting – platelets, fibrin and clotting factors are all active.
What is inflammation?
Mast cells release histamines and phagocytes start to actively clear area of pathogens.
What is proliferation?
- Collagen fibres develop
and contraction occurs - Epithelial tissue forming
What is maturation/remodelling?
Collagen changes and area achieves near normal strength.
What are the extrinsic factors (factors we can control) that influence healing?
- Temperature: Cold delays, heat will cause vasodilation and
reduce strength. - Moisture: Dry or overly moist wounds will not heal.
- Poor dressing application and
techniques: Constriction, poor protection, infection. - Poor surgical
technique/presence of
foreign bodies: Effect of drains, diathermy or contamination.