Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) Practice Exam

When should wound care goals focus on maintenance?

1. When the wound is healing well

2. When there is a chronic infection present

3. When the underlying pathology cannot be corrected

4. When the wound is in the inflammatory phase

The correct answer is: When the underlying pathology cannot be corrected

Focusing on maintenance of wound care goals is crucial when the underlying pathology cannot be corrected. In such situations, the wound may not show signs of healing or improvement, and the priority shifts from attempting to achieve complete healing to managing the wound effectively and preventing complications. Maintenance goals prioritize the patient's quality of life, minimizing pain, controlling exudate, and preventing further deterioration of the wound and surrounding tissue. This approach helps ensure that the patient remains comfortable and that the wound does not progress to a more serious state, even if complete healing is not achievable. In contrast, when a wound is healing well, the focus would be on promoting further healing rather than maintenance. Similarly, chronic infections would typically require aggressive interventions to address the infection rather than mere maintenance, and the inflammatory phase of wound healing is a critical period where the primary goal is typically to move the wound through the phases of healing, rather than maintaining the existing state.