PAEA Surgery End Of Rotation (EOR) Practice Exam

Which local factor affects wound healing?

1. Nutritional status

2. Controlled bleeding

3. Chronic illness

4. Smoking

The correct answer is: Controlled bleeding

Controlled bleeding is a vital local factor that significantly impacts wound healing. Effective hemostasis is crucial, as uncontrolled bleeding can lead to a hematoma formation or excess tissue death due to insufficient blood supply to the area. When bleeding is controlled during a surgical procedure, it allows for optimal tissue approximation and reduces the risk of infection, thereby facilitating a more favorable environment for the body's natural healing processes. This local factor works synergistically with other factors, such as proper oxygenation and the absence of foreign bodies, to promote healing. For instance, controlled bleeding minimizes tissue disruption and maintains cellular viability, which are essential for the restoration of the skin and underlying structures. The less bleeding there is, the lower the risk of complications and the better the healing outcomes. While nutritional status, chronic illness, and smoking are significant factors influencing wound healing, they predominantly represent systemic factors rather than local ones. Nutritional status affects overall health and healing capabilities, chronic illness can impede immune function and healing processes, and smoking negatively impacts circulation and oxygen delivery, but these do not directly pertain to the immediate local conditions of the wound site like controlled bleeding does. Thus, controlled bleeding plays a more direct role in the immediate environment of the wound, reinforcing its critical importance in the healing process