Under which condition should a wound dressing be changed?

• A. Change only when patient complains of discomfort
• B. Never change occlusive dressings
• C. Every hour regardless of wound status
• D. Evidence of dressing channel formation, separation from periwound tissues, significant exudate, strike-through, leakage, or wound desiccation

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that dressing changes should be guided by objective signs from the wound and dressing, not by a fixed schedule or patient discomfort. Change the dressing when there is evidence of a channel forming between the wound and the dressing, separation from periwound tissues, significant exudate, strike-through, leakage, or wound desiccation. These signs indicate the current dressing is not maintaining a proper moist yet protected environment and may risk infection, maceration, or impaired healing. Discomfort alone isn’t a reliable trigger, and changing an occlusive dressing simply because it’s occlusive isn’t appropriate if there’s no leakage or drying. Likewise, changing hourly regardless of wound status is unnecessary and disruptive to healing. So, use those concrete indicators to decide when a change is needed.