PAEA Surgery End Of Rotation (EOR) Practice Exam

What type of contamination may occur in a clean-contaminated surgical wound?

1. None

2. Minor

3. Significant

4. Moderate

The correct answer is: None

In a clean-contaminated surgical wound, the expectation is that the contamination is minimal or negligible. Clean-contaminated wounds typically involve procedures that enter the respiratory, alimentary, or genitourinary tracts under controlled conditions, with no gross contamination or infection. Examples include elective surgeries on the gastrointestinal system or surgeries on organs like the bladder, where there's a potential for bacterial presence without significant risk of infection. Given this context, a clean-contaminated wound would reasonably be assessed as having no or very minor contamination. The goal during these procedures is to maintain a sterile environment while acknowledging that some level of bacterial presence may naturally occur due to the anatomical location, but not to the extent that it compromises the surgical outcome. Therefore, identifying that there may be no significant contamination is aligned with the understanding of what characterizes clean-contaminated wounds.