PAEA Surgery End Of Rotation (EOR) Practice Exam

Which type of surgical wound classification is primarily associated with acute, nonpurulent inflammation?

1. Dirty or infected

2. Contaminated

3. Clean-contaminated

4. Clean

The correct answer is: Contaminated

The classification of surgical wounds is crucial for understanding the potential for infection and planning appropriate postoperative care. The clean-contaminated wound classification is specifically associated with procedures where the respiratory, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary tracts are entered under controlled conditions. In these cases, although there may be the presence of aerobic flora, there is typically no significant infection or contamination. Acute, nonpurulent inflammation generally suggests that while there may be a presence of bacteria, there is no active infection characterized by purulence. This is consistent with clean-contaminated wounds, where the surgical field is generally clean, but there is a recognized risk of postoperative infection due to the manipulation of a normally sterile area. Thus, the association of clean-contaminated wounds with acute, nonpurulent inflammation reflects the lower degree of bacterial load and the controlled nature of the exposure to body flora. In contrast, dirty or infected wounds are characterized by the presence of purulent drainage and ongoing infection. Contaminated wounds involve fresh traumatic wounds or surgical incisions with a breach in sterile technique, leading to a higher likelihood of infection. Clean wounds, on the other hand, refer to surgical incisions made in sterile conditions and not involving the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tracts