Wound Healing Flashcards
What 2 processes are simultaneous?
hemostasis and inflammation
Hemostasis/Inflammation
- injured blood vessels constrict and platelets form to stop bleeding
Inflammation
- histamine
- vasodilation
- normal rxn = redness/edema and throbbing
Proliferation
- new blood vessels appear, reconstruction, 3 days to 3 weeks
- filling with granulation tissue
- contraction
- resurfacing
- fibroblasts
- angiogenesis
Maturation/Remodelling
- 2 years, depending on wound and collagen scar
- fewer pigments
- little redder
- not same consistency
- healed wounds = inc. risk for pressure injuries
Primary intention
- non infected
- wound edges well approximated
- little scaring
Secondary intention
- wound edges unable to approximate = extensive tissue loss
- heals from inside out
- granulation tissue forms to fill spaces
ex: replaces fibrin clot, pressure ulcer - heals by any size
Tertiary intention
- closing granulated ends together after initial healing
- surgical closure
- left open for several days, then wound edges are approximated
WOUND
What happened Oxygen/perfusion Underlying factors (age, psychosocial, mobility, incontinence, sleep Nutrition Disease/drugs
Patient centered concerns
pain money isolation mobility sleep stress depression
Local wound assessment
- location
- size: length, width, depth
- characteristics: undermining, tunneling, presence of necrotic tissue or exudate
- document
Parameters to assess regarding drainage systems
- # of drains
- placement
- character of drainage
- condition of collecting equipment
- type and # of dressings
- monitoring of self suction devices
exert a constant low pressure as long as the suction device is completely compressed.
Hemovac and Jackson Pratt
Describe the responsibility of a student nurse who identifies wound abnormalities and complications?
- identify abnormalities
- inform primary nurse
- document
- perform wound care, MPR, basic dressing
- support patient
c) angiogensis
c) growth of new capillary blood vessels
c) why are scars lighter in colour?
c) contain fewer pigmented cells (melanocytes)
The skin edges are closed by approximation of wound margins. The risk of infection is low. Healing occurs quickly with minimal scar formation, as long as infection and secondary breakdown is prevented. Healing occurs by epithelialization (The formation of granulation tissue in an open wound allows the re-epithelialization phase to take place, as epithelial cells migrate across the new tissue to form a barrier between the wound and the environment).
Primary wound intention
Wound edges are not approximated and the wound is left open until it becomes filled with scar tissue. Wounds being healed by secondary intention can be caused by pressure ulcers and surgical wounds that have tissue loss. It takes longer to heal by secondary intention thus the chance of infection is greater. If scaring is severe enough loss of tissue function can occur.
Secondary wound intention
Also referred to as: “delayed primary closure”. In some situations, wounds are not closed due to infection. Instead, these wounds are irrigated and dressings applied until the infection is cleared and the wound is closed, surgically, at a later date.
Tertiary wound intention
When a wound fails to heal properly the layers of skin and tissue separate.
Wound dehiscence
- Dehiscence is the partial or total separation of wound layers.
Evisceration
With total separation of wound layers, evisceration (protrusion of visceral organs through a wound opening) sometimes occur
Evisceration - Nursing Care
Quickly place sterile towels soaked in sterile saline over the extruding tissues to reduce the chance of bacterial invasion and drying of tissues
approximated wound edges
When a wound is well approximated, it means that both sides of the cut fit together really well, nice and tight together. Hopefully the scar from a well-approximated cut will be almost none existent.