A nurse is preparing to perform a wet-to-dry dressing change for a client who has an infected abdominal wound. Which of the following techniques should the nurse use when performing this dressing change?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Remove the tape by pulling from the center of the dressing. Tape should be removed by pulling toward the wound rather than from the center to avoid skin trauma and unnecessary disruption to the healing tissue. Pulling from the center can increase discomfort and damage surrounding skin. B. Clean the wound from the center to the outer edges. Cleaning from the center outward prevents the introduction of microorganisms from the surrounding skin into the wound, reducing the risk of further infection. This technique follows the principle of working from the cleanest area to the least clean. C. Moisten the dressing before removal. A wet-to-dry dressing is meant to adhere to necrotic tissue and debris, which is then removed when the dry dressing is taken off. Moistening it before removal defeats this purpose by softening the dressing, reducing its effectiveness in debriding the wound. D. Wear sterile gloves to remove the dressing. Clean gloves are appropriate for removing a contaminated dressing. Sterile gloves are necessary for applying the new dressing to maintain an aseptic environment. Using sterile gloves for removal is unnecessary and does not improve infection control.