Wound Care Flashcards

1
Q

phases of healing (3)

A
  1. inflammatory phase
  2. proliferation phase
  3. maturation phase
    * all overlapping
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

inflammatory phase

A
  • begins the moment of injury and lasts 2 days to 2 weeks
  • initial vasoconstriction to control blood loss
  • protein-based fluid leaks out of vessels and swelling begins along with clean-up cells
  • within 30 minutes mast cells release histamine to cause vasodialation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

proliferation phase

A
  • begins once injured area being clean and free of damaged tissue, foreign matter, and bacteria and last several weeks
  • consists of granulation, angiogenesis, wound contraction, and epithelialization
  • moist wound bed desired
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

maturation phase

A

“remodeling phase”

  • water and amino acids squeezed out of the granulation tissue matrix
  • collagen fibers produced, forms scar
  • can last up to 2 years
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

scar vs skin strength

A

scar is 80% as strong as skin at full maturity

*scar management is important

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

factors that affect healing (9)

A
  1. circulation
  2. debris in wound bed
  3. infection
  4. chemical stress
  5. temperature of wound bed
  6. amount of moisture in/around wound bed
  7. medications and other medical conditions
  8. nutrition
  9. age
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

debridement

A

the removal of necrotic tissue from a wound so the healthy tissue is exposed in the wound bed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

slough

A

yellow, white stringy tissue
moist composite of fibrin bacteria, dead cells and exudate
*dead tissue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

eschar

A

black, hard tissue, occasionally moist in appearance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

autolytic debridement

A

when the body breaks down the necrotic tissue on its own

  • can encourage with dressings
  • comfortable and effective, but slower
  • watch for macerated skin
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

enzymatic debridement

A

use of topical enzymes to break down slough and eschar

  • check state practice act
  • collagenase ointment - needs Rx
  • may cause discomfort
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

sharp debridement

A

use of sharp instrument (scissors/scalpel) to selectively remove necrotic tissue

  • check state practice act
  • need to be skilled
  • fastest and most effective method
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

mechanical debridement

A

remove of dead tissue using methods like whirlpool agitation, high pressure fluid irrigation, or wet-to-dry dressings
**NOT RECOMMENDED

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

hypergranulation tissue

A

looks like shiny, deep-red balls of tissue that grow taller than the wound margin

  • soft, bleeds easy
  • treat with nitrate sticks (do with dressing changes/turns tissue gray)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

wound cleansing frequency

A

wound should be cleansed every time the dressing is changed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

best wound cleansing solutions

A

normal saline
sterile water
drinkable tap water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

wound cleansing solutions to avoid

A

hydrogen peroxide, Dakin’s solution, povidone iodine/Betadine, soap, bleach
*never use anything you would not be willing to put in your eye

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

hydrogen peroxide and wounds

A
  • should only be used in home setting to clean cuts/scrapes immediately after injury
  • once wound is free from debris, OH can be toxic to granulation tissues and use can slow wound healing
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

moisture balance

A

moist wound will heal much faster than a wound that is too wet or too dry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

goals of wound dressing

A

keep bacteria out, retain some moisture, but still absorb any excess fluid if needed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

non-occlusive dressing

A

allows for free passage of water, vapor, and bacteria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

occlusive dressing

A

will not allow passage of water, vapor, and bacteria

23
Q

semi-occlusive dressing

A

falls in the middle

allows passage of water vapor, but not water or bacteria

24
Q

types of dressings (6)

A
  1. transparent film
  2. impregnated low-adherence dressings
  3. hydrogels
  4. gauze
  5. foams
  6. alginates
25
transparent film dressings
semi-occlusive thin, see-through films that adhere right to the skin and can be used as primary or secondary dressing *can last up to 7 days
26
impregnated low-adherence dressings
non-occlusive to semi-occlusive designed to make contact with wound and reduce sticking and tearing of wound tissue during dressing changes *requires secondary dressing *reduces risk of infection
27
hydrogel dressings
non-occlusive to semi-occlusive designed to hydrate wounds and promote autolytic debridement *requires secondary dressing *needs to be changed every 24-72 hours
28
gauze dressings
non-occlusive most widely available and commonly used can be used to clean, pack, or cover wounds *as primary dressing it cannot easily create moist wound environment and also tends to shed fibers *good secondary to keep other dressings in place
29
foam dressings
semi-occlusive mosty polyurethane and used to absorb moderate amounts of exudate and provide cushioning *can be primary or secondary depending on brand *doesn't conform well to hand
30
alginate dressings
non-occlusive to semi-occlusive derived from seaweed highly absorbent and made for moderate-large amounts of exudate *as alginate absorbs fluid, it is converted to a gel that provides moisture to the wound bed *requires secondary dressing
31
primary intention
wound is closed with sutures or staples | *wound heals by fibrous adhesion and little to no granulation tissue
32
secondary intention
the wound is left open and left to heal through the granulation process *requires close monitoring
33
tertiary intention
"delayed primary wound closure" | wound is left open initially then closed a few days later
34
patient education on wound care and smoking
* educate them that nicotine decreases the delivery of O2 to tissue and can increase the risk for wound healing complications * 1 cigarette can reduce blood flow to hand * encourage clients to temporarily stop smoking until wound is healed (or at least cut back)
35
eval - location of wound
when describing the location of a wound, be precise do so in terms of anatomical position ex. "The wound is on the anterior medial aspect of the distal forearm, 2 cm proximal to the pisiform"
36
eval - size of wound
length, width, depth recorded in mm or cm | clock method or length and width at longest points
37
eval - wound depth
depth measure by inserting a moistened sterile cotton-tipped applicator into the deepest part of the wound *look for tunneling
38
tunneling
a narrow and deep hole that runs away from the main part of the wound * creates "dead space" and increases risk of abscess formation * record depth and location using clock face method
39
eval - wound margins
note color and condition of edges of the wound * healthy: pink and flat, firmly attached to tissue underneath * watch for undermining
40
undermining
space under the wound margins | *sign that wound is not healing effectivley
41
eval - periwound skin
note color and condition of skin around the wound * should be skin-colored or maybe a little pink * redness, inflammation or hardening could indicate infection * small lesions could indicate damage from adhesive dressings * soft, white indicates skin has absorbed too much fluid
42
macerated skin
soft, white skin that results from wound exudate not being adequately absorbed by the wound dressing *fragile and easily damaged
43
denuded skin
when the epidermis around the wound starts to breakdown
44
eval - wound characteristics
describe wound using "red-yellow-black" system and document with digital photos to record wound healing progression
45
"red-yellow-black" system
estimate what % of the wound is colored by each color red: healthy yellow: slough black: eschar
46
photographing wounds
helpful in documenting | always do at same point of treatment, same camera, same settings, same distance, NO FLASH
47
eval - wound exudate
describe color, consistency, odor and amount of discharge | *hydrocolloid dressings produce foul odor; this is normal so assess after cleaning
48
serous
clear and watery exudate | *normal
49
serosanguinous
thin and pink exudate | *normal
50
sanguinous
thin and bright red exudate | *may or may not be normal depending on amount and type of tissue in wound bed
51
purulent
thick or thin, tan to yellow exudate | *sign of possible infection
52
foul purulent
thick, yellow to green exudate with bad odor | *sign of infection
53
signs of infection (9)
1. pain 2. foul odor 3. pus drainage 4. redness 5. warm to touch 6. hardening around wound 7. lymphangitic streaking/red streaks 8. malaise 9. fever
54
wound care clinical reasoning (5)
1. moist wound healing is best 2. create a clean wound bed 3. wound bed is fragile 4. infection must be identified 5. do no harm