WorksheetsWound Debridement Principles
Total questions: 12
Worksheet time: 8mins
Wound debridement is an essential step in wound care because it primarily:
Promotes haemostasis and clot formation
Removes barriers to healing by clearing necrotic tissue
Increases scar tissue formation
Sterilises the wound surface completely
Prevents the need for dressings
The ultimate goal of debridement in wound management is to:
Improve cosmetic appearance of scars
Enhance the wound environment for healing
Reduce the cost of wound care
Avoid surgical closure of the wound
Shorten hospital stay regardless of healing outcome
Which type of debridement relies on topical preparations that digest necrotic tissue?
Mechanical debridement
Autolytic debridement
Surgical debridement
Enzymatic debridement
Biological debridement
A 70-year-old patient with pressure ulcers presents with thick yellow slough and surrounding cellulitis. The best management option is:
Apply a transparent film dressing only
Begin systemic antibiotics without further intervention
Perform sharp/surgical debridement of the ulcer
Allow spontaneous autolysis to occur
Avoid intervention until wound culture results are available
Before performing debridement, it is most crucial to assess:
Whether the wound is infected or not
Patient’s haemodynamic stability
The vascularity and viability of the wound bed tissue
The size of the wound dressing available
The cosmetic expectations of the patient
Which of the following wounds should generally not undergo immediate aggressive debridement?
Infected traumatic laceration with pus
Wet gangrene in a diabetic foot
Stable, dry eschar over the heel with critical limb ischaemia
Pressure sore with foul-smelling slough
Contaminated compound fracture wound
A surgeon performing wound debridement in the operating theatre most commonly uses:
Curette, scalpel, and surgical scissors
Retractors and suction
Needle holder and suture material
Tourniquet and diathermy
Dressing pack only
Which of the following is a key limitation of autolytic debridement?
It is non-selective and damages viable tissue
It is usually slower compared to surgical debridement
It requires advanced surgical expertise
It cannot be used in patients with comorbidities
It always results in infection
In the case of an open tibial fracture, the timing of initial surgical debridement is most appropriately:
As soon as possible, ideally within the first 6–8 hours
After 24 hours, once the wound has stabilised
Only after antibiotics have been completed
After swelling has completely subsided
When bone healing has started
Which of the following is the best indicator of effective debridement in a chronic wound?
Reduced need for antibiotics
Disappearance of odour within 12 hours
Development of red, healthy granulation tissue in the wound bed
Patient’s subjective improvement in pain
Early reduction in wound size by 50%
What do you think of the session?
What or how do you think the session can be improved?
