Wound Care

• What is a wound?

  A break or destruction to the skin
• What does a wound involve?

  Destruction to the skin or underlying tissue
• Where might nurses encounter wounds?

  • In practice settings
  • Hospitals
  • Home care
  • Clinics
  • Community settings
  • Among friends and family
• What types of wounds might nurses deal with?

  New, existing, acute, and chronic wounds
• What are the two main classifications of wounds by cause?

  Surgical and Traumatic/non-surgical
• How are wounds classified by underlying pathology?

  By vascular, pressure, and diabetes-related issues
• What are the two classifications of wounds by duration?

  Acute and Chronic
• What are the classifications of wounds by depth?

  Superficial, Partial Thickness, and Full Thickness
• What are the classifications of wounds based on different criteria?

  • By Cause:
  • Surgical
  • Traumatic/non-surgical
  • By Underlying Pathology:
  • Vascular
  • Pressure
  • Diabetes-related
  • By Duration:
  • Acute
  • Chronic
  • By Depth:
  • Superficial
  • Partial Thickness
  • Full Thickness
• What is primary intention in wound healing?

  Healing when wound edges are well-approximated
• What characterizes secondary intention in wound healing?

  Wounds with wide or irregular margins
• What is tertiary intention also known as?

  Delayed primary intention
• Describe the process of tertiary intention in wound healing.

  Wound intentionally left open and later closed surgically
• When would a wound be treated with tertiary intention?

  When there is infection, edema, or poor circulation
• How does tertiary intention differ from primary and secondary intention?

  Tertiary intention involves delayed closure of an open wound