Skin and pressure injury: RCSI aptitude test practice questions
About this topic
Skin and pressure injury on the RCSI theory paper
SSKIN bundle, Waterlow score, pressure injury stages, blanching and non-blanching erythema, wound healing.
32 multiple-choice questions, each with an explanation and the document it was checked against. Three questions are free; the pass opens the other 29 and every other topic. Wrong answers come back first the next time you practise, and a question counts as mastered after two correct answers in a row.
Sample questions from this topic
Question 1
Which factors does the NPIAP say affect the tolerance of soft tissue for pressure and shear?
- AMicroclimate, nutrition, perfusion and co-morbidities
- BTime of day, room temperature, season and humidity
- CHair colour, height, handedness, eye colour and skin type
- DBlood group, rhesus status and ethnicity
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Answer: A. NPIAP: the tolerance of soft tissue for pressure and shear is affected by microclimate (heat and moisture at the skin), nutrition, perfusion, co-morbidities and the condition of the soft tissue.
Question 2
In which phase of wound healing does granulation tissue form?
- AInflammatory phase
- BMaturation phase
- CProliferative phase
- DHaemostasis phase
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Answer: C. Proliferation includes epithelialisation (new epidermis and granulation tissue), angiogenesis, collagen formation and contraction. Haemostasis is clotting; inflammation brings leukocytes, oedema, erythema and exudate; maturation remodels collagen into scar. This is one of the RCSI published sample MCQs.
Source: Doyle and McCutcheon, Clinical Procedures for Safer Patient Care, 4.2 wound assessment
Question 3
What is healing by secondary intention?
- AA wound closed with a skin graft
- BA sutured surgical wound healing quickly
- CA wound left open then closed a few days later
- DAn open wound filling with granulation tissue
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Answer: D. HSE National Wound Management Guidelines 2018, Appendix II: wounds with extensive tissue loss (trauma, burns, ulcers) are unsuitable for primary closure and are left open to heal by granulation, contraction and epithelialisation; that is secondary intention. Primary intention brings the edges together with glue, strips, sutures or staples. Delayed primary closure sutures the wound 3 to 6 days later, used when it is contaminated, over 24 hours old or poorly perfused.
Source: HSE National Wound Management Guidelines 2018, Appendix II: The wound healing process
The practice above shuffles the options each time and keeps your score. 30 more free questions across the paper, with a PDF.
Documents behind these questions
Every fact was checked against the public document named on the answer. This topic draws on:
- HSE Pressure Ulcers to Zero: SSKIN bundle (2017), pressure ulcer definition
- HSE: Pressure ulcers (sores)
- HSE: Pressure ulcers, treatment
- HSE Pressure Ulcer Staging Tool 2024 (National Improvement Programme for Wound Management, Oct 2024), Stage 2
- NPIAP: Pressure injury and stages (2016)
- Doyle and McCutcheon, Clinical Procedures for Safer Patient Care, 4.2 wound assessment
- HSE National Wound Management Guidelines 2018, Appendix II: The wound healing process