NPTE-PTA Integumentary System 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Pitting edema is graded on a 1–4 scale. Grade 3 pitting edema indicates:
- 2 mm depression, rebounds immediately
- 4 mm depression, rebounds in <15 seconds
- 6 mm depression, rebounds in 1–2 minutes (Correct answer)
- 8 mm depression, rebounds in 2–5 minutes
Correct answer: 6 mm depression, rebounds in 1–2 minutes
Grade 3 pitting edema produces a 6 mm indentation that takes 1–2 minutes to rebound.
Question 2: Which vitamin deficiency is most associated with impaired wound healing?
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C (Correct answer)
- Vitamin K
Correct answer: Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis; deficiency impairs wound healing and can cause scurvy.
Question 3: A full-thickness burn wound is characterized by:
- Erythema and pain
- Blistering and pain
- White or charred appearance, no pain (Correct answer)
- Moist, painful surface
Correct answer: White or charred appearance, no pain
Full-thickness (3rd degree) burns destroy all skin layers including nerve endings, resulting in a painless white, brown, or black appearance.
Question 4: The primary purpose of offloading a diabetic foot ulcer is to:
- Improve blood flow
- Reduce repetitive mechanical stress to allow healing (Correct answer)
- Prevent infection
- Reduce edema
Correct answer: Reduce repetitive mechanical stress to allow healing
Offloading redistributes pressure away from the wound site, eliminating the repetitive mechanical trauma that prevents healing.
Question 5: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT/VAC) promotes healing by:
- Keeping the wound dry
- Applying subatmospheric pressure to remove exudate and promote granulation (Correct answer)
- Delivering antibiotic locally
- Providing heat to the wound bed
Correct answer: Applying subatmospheric pressure to remove exudate and promote granulation
NPWT applies controlled negative pressure to remove exudate, reduce edema, and stimulate granulation tissue formation.
Question 6: Which sign indicates arterial insufficiency in the lower extremity?
- Brawny edema
- Hemosiderin staining
- Dependent rubor with elevation pallor (Correct answer)
- Varicose veins
Correct answer: Dependent rubor with elevation pallor
Dependent rubor (redness when dependent) and elevation pallor are classic signs of arterial insufficiency from poor perfusion.
NPTE-PTA Integumentary System 3
Pitting edema is graded on a 1–4 scale.
Grade 3 pitting edema indicates: