Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse (CWON) Practice Test

What is a nursing consideration for managing acute wounds pre-operatively?

1. Increase aspirin dosage

2. Educate the patient to exacerbate anxiety

3. Optimize nutrition and reduce steroids

4. Restrict all food and fluid intake

The correct answer is: Optimize nutrition and reduce steroids

Optimizing nutrition and reducing steroids is essential for managing acute wounds pre-operatively due to its impact on wound healing and the patient's overall recovery. Nutritional status plays a critical role in wound healing; sufficient protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals are required to support the cellular processes involved in repair. Enhancing a patient’s nutritional intake can improve their immune function and help reduce complications post-surgery. Additionally, steroids can inhibit wound healing by suppressing the inflammatory response and the activity of fibroblasts, which are vital for tissue repair. Therefore, a reduction in steroid dosage, when possible, before surgery can help promote better healing outcomes. The other options do not align with best practices for managing acute wounds. Increasing aspirin dosage may pose a risk of bleeding, which is particularly problematic in a surgical context. Educating the patient in a manner that exacerbates anxiety could lead to increased stress and potentially negative impacts on recovery; instead, nursing interventions typically aim to alleviate anxiety. Finally, while there may be circumstances in which food and fluid intake must be restricted before surgery, complete restriction is not a standard practice for managing acute wounds, as maintaining adequate hydration and nutrition is generally crucial.