NURS 5354 Final Exam Questions And
Answers
/.What is a single suture strand called? - Answer-✅Monofilament; more resistant to
harboring microorganisms.
/.What are several filaments twisted or braided together called? - Answer-
✅Multifilament; They are less stiff, have greater tensile strength but fluid may be
absorbed along the filament to introduce pathogens. Infection risk!
/.What are absorbable sutures? - Answer-✅Two types: Natural-surgical gut; plain or
surgical gut chromic (treated with chromium salt)
Synthetic polymers-Vicryl (braided suture) or monocryl (monofilament)
/.What are non-absorbable sutures? - Answer-✅Two types: Natural-Surgical silk
Synthetic-Nylon (Ethilon) or Polyprolene (Prolene)
/.How do you determine the diameter of a suture? - Answer-✅The smaller the number,
the larger the strand.
Ex: a 2-0 is larger than 5-0 suture.
/.What size suture would you use for the face? - Answer-✅5-0 or 6-0
/.What size suture would you use for the scalp? - Answer-✅4-0
/.What size suture would you use for the upper body? - Answer-✅4-0
/.What size suture would you use for the hand? - Answer-✅4-0 or 5-0
/.What size suture would you use for the lower body? - Answer-✅4-0
/.What size suture would you use over a joint? - Answer-✅4-0
/.What suture pattern would be used for a laceration with irregular edges? - Answer-
✅Interrupted
/.What suture pattern is best for high tension wounds, palms/feet or over joint areas? -
Answer-✅Horizontal mattress
/.What suture pattern is best for loose/thin skin? - Answer-✅Vertical mattress
, /.What suture pattern would be used on lacerations with low risk for infection and low
wound tension? - Answer-✅Continuous
/.How far apart should two sutures be from one another? - Answer-✅No closer than 2
mm in a fine plastic closure. The distance between sutures should equal half the total
distance across the incision.
/.When should sutures be removed from the face? - Answer-✅4-5 days
/.When should sutures be removed from the scalp? - Answer-✅10-14 days
/.When should sutures be removed from the upper body? - Answer-✅7-10 days
/.When should sutures be removed from the hand? - Answer-✅7-10 days
/.When should sutures be removed from the lower body? - Answer-✅10-14 days
/.When should sutures be removed over joints? - Answer-✅14-21 days
/.Consult/referral should be done for...? - Answer-✅Deep wounds of the hand or foot,
lacerations of the eyelid/lip/ear, lacerations involving tendon, nerves, arteries, bones or
joints, penetrating wounds of unknown depth, severe crush injuries, severely
contaminated wounds requiring drainage, wounds for which the patient or clinical is
strongly concerned about cosmetic outcome. and galea
/.What are other methods of wound repair/closure? - Answer-✅Tape, adhesives or
staples
/.What needs to be documented/coded when suturing? - Answer-✅Lesion location,
lesion size, benign/malignant (discuss path report), and closure.
/.What needs to be documented for wound repair? - Answer-✅laceration length and
location, any neurovascular damage distal to the injury, laceration clean or
contaminated, anesthetic medication used, how the wound was cleansed, suture size,
number and layer sutured (skin, dermis, fascia) and discussion of potential for infection
or impaired function.
/.What should be considered for post procedural care? - Answer-✅Cleansing,
antibiotics (if needed), use of steri-strips after suture removal to decrease wound
tension and applying sunscreen to the area for at least 6 months to reduce scarring.
/.What history should be obtained with laceration injuries? - Answer-✅When did it occur
(greater than 12-24 hours)?
Answers
/.What is a single suture strand called? - Answer-✅Monofilament; more resistant to
harboring microorganisms.
/.What are several filaments twisted or braided together called? - Answer-
✅Multifilament; They are less stiff, have greater tensile strength but fluid may be
absorbed along the filament to introduce pathogens. Infection risk!
/.What are absorbable sutures? - Answer-✅Two types: Natural-surgical gut; plain or
surgical gut chromic (treated with chromium salt)
Synthetic polymers-Vicryl (braided suture) or monocryl (monofilament)
/.What are non-absorbable sutures? - Answer-✅Two types: Natural-Surgical silk
Synthetic-Nylon (Ethilon) or Polyprolene (Prolene)
/.How do you determine the diameter of a suture? - Answer-✅The smaller the number,
the larger the strand.
Ex: a 2-0 is larger than 5-0 suture.
/.What size suture would you use for the face? - Answer-✅5-0 or 6-0
/.What size suture would you use for the scalp? - Answer-✅4-0
/.What size suture would you use for the upper body? - Answer-✅4-0
/.What size suture would you use for the hand? - Answer-✅4-0 or 5-0
/.What size suture would you use for the lower body? - Answer-✅4-0
/.What size suture would you use over a joint? - Answer-✅4-0
/.What suture pattern would be used for a laceration with irregular edges? - Answer-
✅Interrupted
/.What suture pattern is best for high tension wounds, palms/feet or over joint areas? -
Answer-✅Horizontal mattress
/.What suture pattern is best for loose/thin skin? - Answer-✅Vertical mattress
, /.What suture pattern would be used on lacerations with low risk for infection and low
wound tension? - Answer-✅Continuous
/.How far apart should two sutures be from one another? - Answer-✅No closer than 2
mm in a fine plastic closure. The distance between sutures should equal half the total
distance across the incision.
/.When should sutures be removed from the face? - Answer-✅4-5 days
/.When should sutures be removed from the scalp? - Answer-✅10-14 days
/.When should sutures be removed from the upper body? - Answer-✅7-10 days
/.When should sutures be removed from the hand? - Answer-✅7-10 days
/.When should sutures be removed from the lower body? - Answer-✅10-14 days
/.When should sutures be removed over joints? - Answer-✅14-21 days
/.Consult/referral should be done for...? - Answer-✅Deep wounds of the hand or foot,
lacerations of the eyelid/lip/ear, lacerations involving tendon, nerves, arteries, bones or
joints, penetrating wounds of unknown depth, severe crush injuries, severely
contaminated wounds requiring drainage, wounds for which the patient or clinical is
strongly concerned about cosmetic outcome. and galea
/.What are other methods of wound repair/closure? - Answer-✅Tape, adhesives or
staples
/.What needs to be documented/coded when suturing? - Answer-✅Lesion location,
lesion size, benign/malignant (discuss path report), and closure.
/.What needs to be documented for wound repair? - Answer-✅laceration length and
location, any neurovascular damage distal to the injury, laceration clean or
contaminated, anesthetic medication used, how the wound was cleansed, suture size,
number and layer sutured (skin, dermis, fascia) and discussion of potential for infection
or impaired function.
/.What should be considered for post procedural care? - Answer-✅Cleansing,
antibiotics (if needed), use of steri-strips after suture removal to decrease wound
tension and applying sunscreen to the area for at least 6 months to reduce scarring.
/.What history should be obtained with laceration injuries? - Answer-✅When did it occur
(greater than 12-24 hours)?
