What should the nurse do when performing suture or staple removal?
A)Snip both ends of the sutures.
B)Apply tension to the suture line to remove the sutures.
C)Pull the exposed surface of the suture through the tissue below the epidermis.
D)Apply Steri-Strip if any separation greater than the width of two stitches is present.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Apply Steri-Strip if any separation greater than two stitches or two staples in width is apparent,to maintain contact between wound edges.This supports the wound by distributing tension across the wound and eliminates closure technique scarring.Never snip both ends of the suture;there will be no way to remove the part of the suture situated below the surface.Grasp the knotted end with forceps,and in one continuous smooth action,pull the suture through from the other side;this smoothly removes the suture without additional tension to the suture line.Tension on the suture line is not required.Never pull the exposed surface of any suture into tissue below the epidermis.The exposed surface of any suture is considered contaminated.

What Should the Nurse Do When Performing Suture or Staple