What it means
Surgical staples close skin incisions quickly and are placed with a stapling device. Inside the body, stapling devices also join or cut tissue, as when joining two ends of bowel. Skin staples are usually removed with a special staple remover after about 7 to 14 days, depending on the site and how it is healing.
For the nurse
Check the incision around the staples for redness, drainage, gaps and signs of infection. When removing staples, remove every other one first, and apply adhesive wound strips if the edges stay closed, as ordered.
At a glance
| Also written | staples |
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