Question

The acute care nurse is caring for a client whose large surgical wound is healing by secondary intention. The client asks, "Why is my wound still open? Will it ever heal?" Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

a. "Your wound will heal slowly as granulation tissue forms and fills the wound."
b. "Your surgeon may not have been skilled enough to close such a large wound, but it will eventually heal."
c. "If less scar tissue is essential, wounds are allowed to heal slowly through a process called secondary intention."
d. "As soon as the infection clears, your surgeon will staple the wound closed."

Answer 1

The most appropriate response is that the wound will heal slowly as granulation tissue forms and fills the wound. This process is typical for wounds healing by secondary intention, and it occurs naturally to reduce infection risk and ensure proper tissue fill.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most appropriate response to the client whose large surgical wound is healing by secondary intention is: "Your wound will heal slowly as granulation tissue forms and fills the wound." This process involves the growth of new connective tissue and tiny blood vessels that form on the surfaces of a wound during the healing process. Unlike primary intention where the wound edges are immediately brought together, in secondary intention the wound remains open and heals from the bottom up. This allows for the reduction of infection risk and ensures that the wound fills up properly with new tissue.

In secondary intention, the body works to repair the damage by filling the wound with granulation tissue, which eventually forms a scar. Sutures or stitches may not be used if the wound is large, to allow for this natural healing process to occur. It's essential that patients understand that this is a normal part of the healing process for certain types of wounds and that it is not due to a lack of skill from the surgeon. As a nurse, providing this information can help reassure and educate the patient about their recovery.