LPN Wound Care and Pressure Injury Staging 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Braden Scale subscale specifically evaluates the patient's ability to change and control body position?
- Moisture
- Activity
- Mobility (Correct answer)
- Friction and Shear
Correct answer: Mobility
The Mobility subscale assesses the patient's ability to change and control body position independently.
Question 2: A patient has a stage 3 pressure injury on the heel. What is the recommended approach for heel pressure injuries with stable eschar?
- Debride the eschar immediately with wet-to-dry dressings
- Leave stable, dry eschar on heel intact as a natural cover (Correct answer)
- Apply enzymatic debriding agent daily
- Cover with an alginate dressing and change every 8 hours
Correct answer: Leave stable, dry eschar on heel intact as a natural cover
Stable, dry eschar on the heel serves as a biological cover and should not be debrided unless signs of infection develop.
Question 3: Which lab value is MOST useful for evaluating a patient's nutritional status in relation to wound healing?
- Hemoglobin A1C
- Serum albumin (Correct answer)
- Serum sodium
- White blood cell count
Correct answer: Serum albumin
Serum albumin reflects protein stores and is commonly used to assess nutritional status related to wound healing, although it has limitations.
Question 4: A patient develops a pressure injury over the ischial tuberosity. Which position places the GREATEST pressure on this site?
- Supine
- Prone
- Sitting (Correct answer)
- Side-lying at 30 degrees
Correct answer: Sitting
The sitting position places the highest pressure over the ischial tuberosities, making this site particularly vulnerable in wheelchair-bound patients.
Question 5: When applying a hydrocolloid dressing to a stage 2 pressure injury, the LPN should:
- Change the dressing every 8 hours to prevent infection
- Leave 2–3 cm of dressing border beyond the wound edge (Correct answer)
- Cut the dressing to fit exactly within the wound margins
- Apply directly over wet, macerated skin without drying first
Correct answer: Leave 2–3 cm of dressing border beyond the wound edge
Hydrocolloid dressings should extend 2–3 cm beyond the wound edge to ensure proper adhesion and protection.
Question 6: A postoperative patient has redness, warmth, purulent drainage, and an odor from a surgical incision. These findings are MOST consistent with:
- Normal wound healing
- Wound dehiscence
- Wound infection (Correct answer)
- Scar tissue formation
Correct answer: Wound infection
Purulent drainage, odor, erythema, and warmth are classic signs of wound infection requiring prompt reporting and intervention.
Question 7: What is the PRIMARY goal of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT/VAC)?
- Eliminate the need for wound dressing changes
- Promote granulation tissue formation and reduce edema (Correct answer)
- Debride necrotic tissue mechanically
- Deliver antibiotics directly to the wound bed
Correct answer: Promote granulation tissue formation and reduce edema
NPWT promotes granulation tissue formation, reduces wound edema, and removes excess exudate to accelerate wound healing.
LPN Wound Care and Pressure Injury Staging 3
Which Braden Scale subscale specifically evaluates the patient's ability to change and control body position?