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

The primary purpose during the first 1-4 days of the inflammatory phase in full thickness wound repair is to establish a clean wound bed. During this initial phase, the body responds to injury by initiating various protective mechanisms. Inflammation is crucial for cleaning the wound area of debris, bacteria, and damaged tissue. This is accomplished through the actions of immune cells, such as neutrophils and macrophages, which migrate to the wound site. These immune cells help to prevent infection and begin the process of debridement, which is the removal of dead and damaged tissue. Establishing a clean wound bed sets the foundation for subsequent phases of healing, including the proliferative phase, where granulation tissue formation and epithelial cell migration occur. Without this clean wound bed, subsequent healing processes could be impaired by the presence of harmful bacteria and non-viable tissue. Therefore, the emphasis during the early inflammatory phase is on creating an optimal environment for healing by cleaning the wound effectively.