In an abdominal wound with evisceration, the nursing action of placing sterile saline-soaked gauze over exposed tissues is primarily to:

• A. To reduce pain
• B. To prevent infection
• C. To prevent pressure ulcers
• D. To prevent edema

Answer: (B)

Protecting exposed viscera from drying and contamination to reduce infection risk. When abdominal contents eviscerate, they are highly vulnerable to microbes and tissue injury from air and drying. A sterile saline–soaked gauze provides a moist, sterile barrier that keeps the tissues moist and cleaner until surgery, helping preserve tissue viability and lowering infection risk. This isn’t primarily about pain, pressure ulcers, or edema; those aren’t the immediate priorities in evisceration.