Practice Question
A nurse is assessing a client who is postoperative following abdominal surgery. Which of the following findings indicates a possible wound infection?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Erythema surrounding the wound
Rationale:
🟥 Erythema indicates localized inflammation, which is one of the earliest visual signs of wound infection.
🟥 Infection increases capillary permeability, causing redness to spread beyond expected healing margins.
🟥 Redness combined with warmth or tenderness suggests pathogen activity, even before drainage becomes purulent.
🟥 Postoperative wounds should show controlled healing, so expanding erythema signals abnormal immune response.
🟥 Recognizing erythema early prevents worsening infection, including cellulitis or wound dehiscence.
Tissue inside the wound is pink
🟥 Pink tissue reflects healthy perfusion
It indicates normal healing, not infection.
Granulation tissue at wound edges
🟥 Granulation tissue is a positive healing sign
It shows new tissue growth and vascularization.
Serosanguinous wound drainage
🟥 Serosanguinous drainage is expected early
It is normal postoperative drainage unless amount or odor changes.
Want to practice more questions like this?
This question is from RN Adult Medical Surgical 2023 Dec which contains 78 questions.
More Questions from This Exam
A nurse is caring for a client who is I day postoperative following a femoral popliteal bypass graft. The nurse notes a diminished pedal pulse while assessing the right leg. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Answer Choices:
hemoglobin of 7.2 g/dL (12 to 16 g/dL). Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Answer Choices:
Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI MedSurg
- Answer Choices: 4