Surgical Wound Classification Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What does Class I refer to in surgical wound classification?

Clean (correct)

Contaminated

Dirty or Infected

Clean Contaminated

What does Class II refer to in surgical wound classification?

Dirty or Infected

Clean

Contaminated

Clean Contaminated (correct)

What does Class III refer to in surgical wound classification?

Contaminated (correct)

Dirty or Infected

Clean Contaminated

Clean

What does Class IV refer to in surgical wound classification?

Dirty or Infected Signup and view all the answers

What are the characteristics of a Class I clean wound?

No breaks in sterile technique, no inflammation, no hollow viscus entered. Signup and view all the answers

What are the characteristics of a Class II clean contaminated wound?

No inflammation, nontraumatic, no breaks in sterile technique, hollow viscous entered. Signup and view all the answers

What are the characteristics of a Class III contaminated wound?

Traumatic wound, spillage of infected material, open or fresh trauma wound of < 4 hours, major break in sterile technique, entrance into genitourinary or biliary tracts with infection. Signup and view all the answers

What are the characteristics of a Class IV dirty wound?

Trauma from contaminated source, gross spillage of infected material, old traumatic wound > 4 hours, existing clinical infection. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following surgeries is classified as Class I Clean?

Thyroidectomy Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following surgeries is classified as Class II Clean Contaminated?

Inflamed appendectomy Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following surgeries is classified as Class IV Dirty?

Drainage of intra-abdominal abscess Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Surgical Wound Classification Overview

Wounds classified into four distinct classes based on contamination levels and surgical techniques.

Class I: Clean

Defined as clean wounds with no breaks in sterile technique.
Characteristics include absence of inflammation and no entry into hollow viscera.
Examples of Class I clean procedures:
- Thyroidectomy
- Mastectomy
- Ganglion Cyst removal
- Total Knee arthroplasty
- Total Hip arthroplasty
- Herniorrhaphy
- Exploratory laparoscopy (without bowel involvement)
- Laminectomy
- Laparoscopic Gastric Banding

Class II: Clean Contaminated

No inflammation or breaks in sterile technique; involves entry into hollow viscera.
Examples include:
- Cholecystectomy
- Hysterectomy
- Colon resection
- Tracheostomy
- Normal Appendectomy
- Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass (considered clean contaminated)

Class III: Contaminated

Involves traumatic wounds with spillage of infected material.
Criteria include fresh trauma wounds less than 4 hours old and major sterile technique breaches.
Associated with entry into infected genitourinary or biliary tracts.
Examples:
- Inflamed but unruptured appendix
- Inflamed but unruptured gallbladder
- Acute inflammation of gallbladder
- Presence of foreign body passing through a wound

Class IV: Dirty or Infected

Characterized by trauma from contaminated sources and spillage of infected material.
Includes old traumatic wounds greater than 4 hours and existing clinical infections.
Examples include:
- Drainage of intra-abdominal abscess
- Ruptured appendix
- Perforated diverticulitis
- Necrotizing soft tissue infection
- Wound debridement
- Foreign body embedded in tissue

Key Characteristics

Class I indicates optimal surgical conditions with minimal risk of infection.
Class II signifies a higher risk as hollow viscera is involved but remains controlled.
Class III reflects a significant risk of contamination requiring careful management.
Class IV indicates severe infection and requires aggressive treatment for recovery.

Description

Test your knowledge on the classification of surgical wounds with these flashcards. Learn the definitions and characteristics of each class from clean to dirty wounds. A great tool for medical students and professionals in the healthcare field.