Wound Care Certification Exam Wound Care Certification Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which wound characteristic is most indicative of biofilm presence?
- Bright red granulation tissue
- Wound that fails to progress despite appropriate treatment (Correct answer)
- Heavy exudate with foul odor
- Undermining greater than 2 cm
Correct answer: Wound that fails to progress despite appropriate treatment
Biofilm is strongly suspected when a wound stalls or fails to heal despite optimal standard care, as biofilm bacteria resist antibiotics and immune responses.
Question 2: A patient with a stage 3 pressure injury has yellow slough covering 60% of the wound bed. Which debridement method is MOST appropriate if the patient is on anticoagulant therapy?
- Sharp/surgical debridement
- Autolytic debridement
- Mechanical debridement with wet-to-dry gauze
- Enzymatic debridement (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Enzymatic debridement
Enzymatic debridement (e.g., collagenase) is safe for anticoagulated patients because it carries no bleeding risk unlike sharp debridement.
Question 3: When using the ankle-brachial index (ABI) to assess lower extremity perfusion, a value of 0.45 indicates:
- Normal arterial perfusion
- Mild arterial insufficiency
- Severe arterial insufficiency (Correct answer)
- Venous hypertension
Correct answer: Severe arterial insufficiency
An ABI below 0.5 indicates severe arterial insufficiency and contraindicates compression therapy without vascular consultation.
Question 4: Which growth factor plays the PRIMARY role in stimulating fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis during wound healing?
- Epidermal growth factor (EGF)
- Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
- Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) (Correct answer)
- Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
Correct answer: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)
TGF-β is the primary cytokine responsible for fibroblast proliferation, collagen deposition, and scar tissue formation in the proliferative phase.
Question 5: A diabetic patient presents with a Wagner Grade 2 foot ulcer. This classification indicates:
- Superficial ulcer without involvement of subcutaneous tissue
- Deep ulcer extending to tendon, capsule, or bone without osteomyelitis (Correct answer)
- Deep ulcer with abscess or osteomyelitis
- Gangrene of the forefoot
Correct answer: Deep ulcer extending to tendon, capsule, or bone without osteomyelitis
Wagner Grade 2 describes a deep ulcer penetrating to tendon, joint capsule, or bone but without infection or osteomyelitis.
Question 6: Which dressing type provides both autolytic debridement and maintains a moist wound environment for a moderately exudating wound?
- Dry gauze
- Hydrocolloid
- Calcium alginate (Correct answer)
- Transparent film
Correct answer: Calcium alginate
Calcium alginate absorbs moderate-to-heavy exudate while forming a gel that supports autolytic debridement and maintains moisture.
Question 7: During wound assessment, periwound maceration is BEST addressed by:
- Increasing dressing change frequency
- Applying a moisture barrier/skin protectant to periwound skin (Correct answer)
- Switching to a wet-to-dry gauze dressing
- Using silver-containing dressings
Correct answer: Applying a moisture barrier/skin protectant to periwound skin
A moisture barrier such as zinc oxide paste or a skin protectant shields periwound skin from excessive moisture and enzymatic damage.
Wound Care Certification Exam Wound Care Certification Practice 2
Which wound characteristic is most indicative of biofilm presence?