For a client having a wet-to-dry dressing, the nurse should:

Question

A. Moisten the old inner dressing to remove it
B. Pack the gauze in flat pieces into the wound
C. Wet the new inner dressing with a cytotoxic solution
D. Apply a secondary dressing over the inner wet packing

Answer 1

D
D. The primary purpose of wet-to-dry dressings is to mechanically debride a wound. The moistened contact layer of the dressing (primary dressing) increases the absorptive ability of the dressing to collect exudate and wound debris. As the dressing dries, it adheres to the wound and debrides the wound of the tissue when the dressing is removed. The moistened gauze must be covered with a secondary dressing layer that is dry.
A. In wet-to-dry dressing, the inner primary dressing if applied properly will have dried and will adhere to underlying tissues; do not moisten it. It is incorrect technique and a common error by some clinicians to moisten the dried gauze before removing it so it does not stick to the wound. This defeats the purpose of using this type of dressing and reduces the amount of debris the dressing will remove.
B. Open or "fluff" the woven gauze that will be placed directly against the wound bed.
C. Moisten the packing material with a noncytotoxic solution such as normal saline. Never use cytotoxic solutions (e.g., povidone-iodine) to pack a wound.