Distinguish necrotic tissue, slough, and granulation tissue and explain how each affects wound healing management.

Distinguish necrotic tissue, slough, and granulation tissue and explain how each affects wound healing management.

• A. Necrotic tissue is dead tissue needing debridement; Slough is yellow/gray necrotic tissue; Granulation tissue is pink/red moist tissue indicating healing; management: debride necrotic/slough to allow granulation tissue.
• B. Necrotic tissue is healthy; Slough is new tissue; Granulation tissue is pale.
• C. All are the same and interchangeable terms.
• D. Necrotic tissue is only in burns; Slough indicates infection; Granulation tissue stops healing.

Answer: (A)

Wound bed quality determines healing potential, and the different tissue types signal what the wound needs next. Necrotic tissue is dead tissue that blocks the wound bed, hinders oxygen and nutrient diffusion, and can harbor bacteria. Because of that, removing necrotic tissue through debridement is essential to unlock the bed for healing. Slough is a form of necrotic tissue that is yellow or gray and often loosely attached; it also blocks granulation and epithelialization, so removing it helps expose viable tissue and move healing forward. Granulation tissue, in contrast, is the healthy, pink or red, moist tissue with new capillaries that forms as the wound heals; its presence indicates that the wound is progressing toward closure. The management goal is to remove necrotic and slough tissue to allow granulation tissue to form, while protecting and supporting the granulation bed with appropriate moisture and infection control. Other statements misdefine these tissues—for example, necrotic tissue is dead, not healthy; slough is not new tissue; granulation tissue is not pale and inactive.

Wound bed quality determines healing potential, and the different tissue types signal what the wound needs next. Necrotic tissue is dead tissue that blocks the wound bed, hinders oxygen and nutrient diffusion, and can harbor bacteria. Because of that, removing necrotic tissue through debridement is essential to unlock the bed for healing. Slough is a form of necrotic tissue that is yellow or gray and often loosely attached; it also blocks granulation and epithelialization, so removing it helps expose viable tissue and move healing forward. Granulation tissue, in contrast, is the healthy, pink or red, moist tissue with new capillaries that forms as the wound heals; its presence indicates that the wound is progressing toward closure. The management goal is to remove necrotic and slough tissue to allow granulation tissue to form, while protecting and supporting the granulation bed with appropriate moisture and infection control.

Other statements misdefine these tissues—for example, necrotic tissue is dead, not healthy; slough is not new tissue; granulation tissue is not pale and inactive.