Nursing Skills
Wound Care and Dressing Changes
The systematic approach to cleaning and protecting wounds to promote healing and prevent infection.
Wound Assessment
- Note location, size (length, width, depth), and tunneling.
- Assess drainage: amount, color, consistency, and odor.
- Describe tissue type: granulation, slough, or eschar.
- Document surrounding skin integrity.
Cleaning and Dressing
- Clean from least contaminated to most contaminated area.
- Use sterile normal saline for irrigation.
- Choose dressing based on wound exudate level (e.g., hydrocolloid for low, alginate for high).
- Apply dressing without applying excessive pressure.
Nursing Considerations
- Pre-medicate patient if wound care is painful.
- Maintain strict aseptic technique for surgical wounds.
- Monitor for signs of infection: increased pain, erythema, purulent drainage.
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