Which acronym describes a wound with nonhealing, exudate, red tissue, debris, and smell?

• A. Nerds
• B. Stones
• C. Heal
• D. Infection

Answer: (A)

In wound assessment, certain patterns help you quickly recognize nonhealing wounds. The features described—nonhealing, exudate, red wound bed tissue, debris, and odor—fit the NERDS pattern. NERDS stands for Nonhealing, Exudate, Red wound bed, Debris, Smell. Each element points to a wound that isn’t progressing toward healing and may need targeted care such as debridement to remove debris, management of drainage, and strategies to reduce bacterial burden if odor is present. This mnemonic specifically captures this combination of signs, whereas other mnemonics describe different wound attributes and wouldn’t match this exact cluster of findings as clearly.