A client must do dressing changes at home on a clean, but open, surgical wound. The nurse determines that goals for discharge instructions have been met when the client says:
A) "I will be sure to keep the skin surrounding the wound dry."
B) "I will sit under a heat lamp for 30 minutes a day to help dry up the drainage."
C) "If I run out of saline, I can irrigate the wound with half strength peroxide."
D) "Pulling out the dried up dressings will help clean the wound out."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The rule of thumb for wound care is to keep the clean wound bed moist and the surrounding skin dry to avoid skin breakdown. Re-epithelialization occurs best under moist conditions, so using heat lamps or other drying treatments is not recommended. Half strength peroxide should only be used in infected wounds. Pulling out a dried up dressing will damage the new granulation tissue. If the dressing is too dry to pull out of a clean wound, it should be moistened slightly.

A Client Must Do Dressing Changes at Home on a Clean