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NUR 155 Exam 3 Key Concept
Questions with Rationales
Exam Structure:
Subject: Nursing / Wound Care, Pressure Ulcers, Oxygenation, Circulation, Activity,
Sensory, Legal & Ethics
Source: NUR 155 Exam 3
Format: Key Concept Questions with Rationales
Wound Classification & Types
1. What are the different ways wounds can be classified?
Answer: Intentional or unintentional; Open or closed; Acute or chronic;
Partial thickness, full thickness, complex.
Rationale: Wound classification guides assessment and treatment.
Intentional wounds (surgery) heal predictably; unintentional (trauma)
have higher infection risk. Depth classification determines healing time and
scarring potential.
2. What is an intentional wound?
Answer: Trauma during therapy, such as operations or venipunctures.
Rationale: Intentional wounds are created for therapeutic purposes under
sterile conditions, resulting in less contamination and predictable healing.
3. What is an unintentional wound?
Answer: Accidental injuries, such as a fractured arm from an auto collision.
Rationale: Unintentional wounds are unpredictable, often contaminated,
and carry higher risk of infection and delayed healing.
4. What type of wound involves only the dermis and epidermis and
heals by regeneration?
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Answer: Partial thickness wound.
Rationale: Partial thickness wounds involve only the epidermal and dermal
layers. Healing occurs through regeneration of epithelial tissue with
minimal scarring.
5. What type of wound involves the dermis, epidermis, subcutaneous
tissue, and possibly muscle and bone, requiring connective tissue
repair?
Answer: Full thickness wound.
Rationale: Full thickness wounds extend beyond the subcutaneous layer.
They heal by scar formation (secondary intention) as lost tissue cannot be
regenerated.
6. What type of wound is caused by a sharp instrument and can be
deep or shallow?
Answer: Incision.
Rationale: An incision is a clean cut, often surgical, with minimal tissue
damage and well-approximated edges, typically healing by primary
intention.
7. What type of wound is caused by a blow from a blunt instrument,
resulting in bruising from damaged blood vessels?
Answer: Contusion.
Rationale: A contusion (bruise) is a closed wound caused by blunt trauma,
with intact skin but underlying soft tissue damage and ecchymosis.
8. What type of wound is primarily a surface scrape?
Answer: Abrasion.
Rationale: Abrasions involve superficial layers of skin rubbed away, often
painful due to exposed nerve endings, and heal by epithelialization.
9. What type of wound is an open wound that penetrates the skin and
often underlying tissues with a sharp instrument, trapping bacteria?
Answer: Puncture wound.
Rationale: Puncture wounds have small openings but can be deep,
introducing bacteria deep into tissues with high risk for anaerobic infection
(e.g., tetanus).
10. What type of wound involves tissues torn apart, often from
accidents, with jagged edges?
Answer: Laceration.
Rationale: Lacerations are tears in the skin with irregular edges, often
contaminated, and may require debridement and closure.
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11. What type of wound penetrates the skin and underlying tissues, is
usually unintentional, and is open (e.g., bullet wound)?
Answer: Penetrating wound.
Rationale: Penetrating wounds enter the body, potentially damaging
internal structures, and carry high risk for infection and hidden injury.
Wound Contamination Classification
12. What are clean wounds?
Answer: Wounds with minimal inflammation where respiratory, GI, genital,
and urinary tracts are NOT entered; primarily closed surgical wounds.
Rationale: Clean wounds are created under sterile conditions with no
entry into viscera, carrying the lowest infection risk (<2%).
13. What are clean-contaminated wounds?
Answer: Surgical wounds where respiratory, GI, genital, or urinary tract
has been entered but show no signs of inflammation.
Rationale: These wounds have controlled entry into viscera with minimal
spillage, carrying a slightly higher infection risk (5-10%).
14. What are contaminated wounds?
Answer: Open, fresh accidental wounds or surgical wounds with major
breaks in sterile field or large GI spillage, showing evidence of
inflammation.
Rationale: Contaminated wounds have significant bacterial contamination
and visible inflammation, with infection risk of 15-20%.
15. What are dirty or infected wounds?
Answer: Wounds containing dead tissue or with evidence of clinical
infection, such as purulent drainage.
Rationale: These wounds have established infection or devitalized tissue,
requiring debridement and antibiotics, with highest infection risk (>25%).
Wound Closure Techniques
16. What type of wound closure lasts about 7-10 days, is used for
jagged lacerations, and is common for deep tissue wounds?
Answer: Sutures.
Rationale: Sutures provide precise approximation of wound edges and are
used for deeper wounds requiring layered closure. Removal timing varies
by location.
, 4|Page
17. What type of sutures dissolve and are not removed, used primarily
in deep tissues?
Answer: Absorbable sutures.
Rationale: Absorbable sutures are broken down by body enzymes over
time, eliminating the need for removal, ideal for internal tissues.
18. What type of wound closure is used for 5-7 days, for superficial
wounds, falls off by itself, and allows the wound to breathe?
Answer: Steri-strips.
Rationale: Steri-strips (adhesive skin closures) provide wound support
across the incision, are non-invasive, and are often used after suture
removal or for superficial lacerations.
19. What type of wound closure technique is used for skin tears?
Answer: Surgical glue (tissue adhesive).
Rationale: Surgical glue provides rapid, painless closure for superficial
wounds, forms a protective barrier, and eliminates need for removal.
20. What type of closure is used for 2-3 weeks, is lightweight titanium,
used for high-tension areas but NOT on hands, feet, neck, or face?
Answer: Surgical staples.
Rationale: Staples provide rapid, strong closure with minimal tissue
reaction, ideal for scalp, trunk, and extremities, but avoided in cosmetic
areas.
Wound Healing Types
21. What is regeneration?
Answer: Replacement of destroyed tissue by the same kind of cells.
Rationale: Regeneration occurs in tissues with high regenerative capacity
(e.g., skin, liver), restoring original structure and function.
22. What is primary intention healing?
Answer: Tissue surfaces are approximated (closed) with minimal tissue
loss, minimal granulation tissue, and minimal scarring.
Rationale: Primary intention occurs in clean surgical incisions with edges
well-approximated, healing quickly with minimal complications.
23. What are examples of primary intention healing?
Answer: A clean incision closed with staples, sutures, or steri-strips.
Rationale: These wounds have approximated edges, minimal tissue loss,
and heal with minimal granulation and scarring.
NUR 155 Exam 3 Key Concept
Questions with Rationales
Exam Structure:
Subject: Nursing / Wound Care, Pressure Ulcers, Oxygenation, Circulation, Activity,
Sensory, Legal & Ethics
Source: NUR 155 Exam 3
Format: Key Concept Questions with Rationales
Wound Classification & Types
1. What are the different ways wounds can be classified?
Answer: Intentional or unintentional; Open or closed; Acute or chronic;
Partial thickness, full thickness, complex.
Rationale: Wound classification guides assessment and treatment.
Intentional wounds (surgery) heal predictably; unintentional (trauma)
have higher infection risk. Depth classification determines healing time and
scarring potential.
2. What is an intentional wound?
Answer: Trauma during therapy, such as operations or venipunctures.
Rationale: Intentional wounds are created for therapeutic purposes under
sterile conditions, resulting in less contamination and predictable healing.
3. What is an unintentional wound?
Answer: Accidental injuries, such as a fractured arm from an auto collision.
Rationale: Unintentional wounds are unpredictable, often contaminated,
and carry higher risk of infection and delayed healing.
4. What type of wound involves only the dermis and epidermis and
heals by regeneration?
, 2|Page
Answer: Partial thickness wound.
Rationale: Partial thickness wounds involve only the epidermal and dermal
layers. Healing occurs through regeneration of epithelial tissue with
minimal scarring.
5. What type of wound involves the dermis, epidermis, subcutaneous
tissue, and possibly muscle and bone, requiring connective tissue
repair?
Answer: Full thickness wound.
Rationale: Full thickness wounds extend beyond the subcutaneous layer.
They heal by scar formation (secondary intention) as lost tissue cannot be
regenerated.
6. What type of wound is caused by a sharp instrument and can be
deep or shallow?
Answer: Incision.
Rationale: An incision is a clean cut, often surgical, with minimal tissue
damage and well-approximated edges, typically healing by primary
intention.
7. What type of wound is caused by a blow from a blunt instrument,
resulting in bruising from damaged blood vessels?
Answer: Contusion.
Rationale: A contusion (bruise) is a closed wound caused by blunt trauma,
with intact skin but underlying soft tissue damage and ecchymosis.
8. What type of wound is primarily a surface scrape?
Answer: Abrasion.
Rationale: Abrasions involve superficial layers of skin rubbed away, often
painful due to exposed nerve endings, and heal by epithelialization.
9. What type of wound is an open wound that penetrates the skin and
often underlying tissues with a sharp instrument, trapping bacteria?
Answer: Puncture wound.
Rationale: Puncture wounds have small openings but can be deep,
introducing bacteria deep into tissues with high risk for anaerobic infection
(e.g., tetanus).
10. What type of wound involves tissues torn apart, often from
accidents, with jagged edges?
Answer: Laceration.
Rationale: Lacerations are tears in the skin with irregular edges, often
contaminated, and may require debridement and closure.
, 3|Page
11. What type of wound penetrates the skin and underlying tissues, is
usually unintentional, and is open (e.g., bullet wound)?
Answer: Penetrating wound.
Rationale: Penetrating wounds enter the body, potentially damaging
internal structures, and carry high risk for infection and hidden injury.
Wound Contamination Classification
12. What are clean wounds?
Answer: Wounds with minimal inflammation where respiratory, GI, genital,
and urinary tracts are NOT entered; primarily closed surgical wounds.
Rationale: Clean wounds are created under sterile conditions with no
entry into viscera, carrying the lowest infection risk (<2%).
13. What are clean-contaminated wounds?
Answer: Surgical wounds where respiratory, GI, genital, or urinary tract
has been entered but show no signs of inflammation.
Rationale: These wounds have controlled entry into viscera with minimal
spillage, carrying a slightly higher infection risk (5-10%).
14. What are contaminated wounds?
Answer: Open, fresh accidental wounds or surgical wounds with major
breaks in sterile field or large GI spillage, showing evidence of
inflammation.
Rationale: Contaminated wounds have significant bacterial contamination
and visible inflammation, with infection risk of 15-20%.
15. What are dirty or infected wounds?
Answer: Wounds containing dead tissue or with evidence of clinical
infection, such as purulent drainage.
Rationale: These wounds have established infection or devitalized tissue,
requiring debridement and antibiotics, with highest infection risk (>25%).
Wound Closure Techniques
16. What type of wound closure lasts about 7-10 days, is used for
jagged lacerations, and is common for deep tissue wounds?
Answer: Sutures.
Rationale: Sutures provide precise approximation of wound edges and are
used for deeper wounds requiring layered closure. Removal timing varies
by location.
, 4|Page
17. What type of sutures dissolve and are not removed, used primarily
in deep tissues?
Answer: Absorbable sutures.
Rationale: Absorbable sutures are broken down by body enzymes over
time, eliminating the need for removal, ideal for internal tissues.
18. What type of wound closure is used for 5-7 days, for superficial
wounds, falls off by itself, and allows the wound to breathe?
Answer: Steri-strips.
Rationale: Steri-strips (adhesive skin closures) provide wound support
across the incision, are non-invasive, and are often used after suture
removal or for superficial lacerations.
19. What type of wound closure technique is used for skin tears?
Answer: Surgical glue (tissue adhesive).
Rationale: Surgical glue provides rapid, painless closure for superficial
wounds, forms a protective barrier, and eliminates need for removal.
20. What type of closure is used for 2-3 weeks, is lightweight titanium,
used for high-tension areas but NOT on hands, feet, neck, or face?
Answer: Surgical staples.
Rationale: Staples provide rapid, strong closure with minimal tissue
reaction, ideal for scalp, trunk, and extremities, but avoided in cosmetic
areas.
Wound Healing Types
21. What is regeneration?
Answer: Replacement of destroyed tissue by the same kind of cells.
Rationale: Regeneration occurs in tissues with high regenerative capacity
(e.g., skin, liver), restoring original structure and function.
22. What is primary intention healing?
Answer: Tissue surfaces are approximated (closed) with minimal tissue
loss, minimal granulation tissue, and minimal scarring.
Rationale: Primary intention occurs in clean surgical incisions with edges
well-approximated, healing quickly with minimal complications.
23. What are examples of primary intention healing?
Answer: A clean incision closed with staples, sutures, or steri-strips.
Rationale: These wounds have approximated edges, minimal tissue loss,
and heal with minimal granulation and scarring.
