Question

A male client sustained numerous types of wounds when he lost control of his motorcycle and was thrown onto the pavement. The client asks the nurse which wounds will heal best. The nurse's reply is based on analysis that which type of wound would generally be least likely to scar?

a) A wound that heals by primary intention
b) A wound that heals by secondary intention
c) A wound that becomes infected
d) A wound to an extremity

Answer 1

A wound that heals by primary intention is least likely to scar due to direct reconnection of the wound edges, unlike wounds that heal by secondary intention, are infected, or are on extremities which are more prone to significant scarring.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of wound that would generally be least likely to scar is a wound that heals by primary intention. This process describes the healing of a wound where the edges are close together and can be directly reconnected, typically using sutures (stitches).

This leads to minimal scarring as opposed to a wound that heals by secondary intention, where there is a larger gap and the wound heals by granulation, contraction and epithelialization, often resulting in more significant scarring. Additionally, a wound that becomes infected or a wound to an extremity are more likely to develop more pronounced scarring due to complications or poorer blood supply respectively.

Regarding the healing process, after the formation of a blood clot, the next response is the removal of toxins and waste products. This initiates tissue repair with clot retraction, the formation of granulation tissue, and the eventual regeneration of new cells.