Surgical Wound Classification

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the classes, definitions, examples, and memory aid for surgical wound classification based on the lecture reference chart.

Class I: Clean (Description)

Uninfected wound; no inflammation; respiratory, GI, genital, and urinary tracts not entered.

Class II: Clean-Contaminated (Description)

Controlled entry into respiratory, GI, genital, or urinary tract without unusual contamination.

Class III: Contaminated (Description)

Major break in sterile technique, gross GI spillage, fresh traumatic wounds, or acute nonpurulent inflammation.

Class IV: Dirty/Infected (Description)

Existing infection, perforated viscera, old traumatic wounds with devitalized tissue.

Class I: Clean (Examples)

Thyroidectomy, mastectomy, hernia repair, joint replacement.

Class II: Clean-Contaminated (Examples)

Cholecystectomy, non-perforated appendectomy, hysterectomy.

Class III: Contaminated (Examples)

Bowel surgery with spillage, contaminated traumatic wound.

Class IV: Dirty/Infected (Examples)

Abscess drainage, perforated bowel, infected wound debridement.

Surgical Wound Quick Memory Aid

Clean -> Clean-Contaminated -> Contaminated -> Dirty/Infected

Surgical Wound Classification Reference Chart

A reference chart categorizing surgical wounds into four classes (Class I Clean, Class II Clean-Contaminated, Class III Contaminated, Class IV Dirty/Infected) with clinical descriptions and procedure examples.