Free Wound Care & Minor Procedures Practice Questions

1. When removing staples from a healed surgical wound, the medical assistant uses a:

• Staple remover that bends the staple in the center to release both ends simultaneously
• Standard office staple remover from the supply closet
• Pair of hemostats to pull each staple straight up from the skin
• Scalpel blade to cut the staple in half before removing each side

2. When cleaning a wound, the correct technique is to clean:

• From the center of the wound outward (clean to dirty)
• From the outside edges toward the center of the wound
• In a circular motion over the entire wound area
• Using back-and-forth scrubbing motions

3. When performing wound irrigation, the medical assistant should direct the solution:

• From the cleanest area (center of the wound) outward toward the wound edges, using gentle pressure from a syringe
• From the surrounding intact skin into the center of the wound
• Using a high-pressure garden hose attachment for maximum debris removal
• By pouring a full bottle of solution directly into the wound from a height of 12 inches

4. Which of the following procedures requires sterile technique rather than clean (medical aseptic) technique?

• Wound suturing and surgical wound dressing changes
• Measuring a patient's oral temperature
• Performing a capillary blood glucose test
• Applying a bandage over an intact skin surface

5. When establishing a sterile field for a minor surgical procedure, the medical assistant should:

• Open the sterile pack away from the body, touching only the outer 1-inch border of the drape
• Open the sterile pack toward the body and arrange items freely
• Place sterile items on any clean surface
• Reach across the sterile field to arrange items on the far side