Classification of surgical wound64
| Wound classification | Description |
|---|---|
| Class I/clean | An uninfected operative wound in which no inflammation is encountered and the respiratory, alimentary, genital or uninfected urinary tract is not entered |
| Class II/clean–contaminated | An operative wound in which the respiratory, alimentary, genital or urinary tracts are entered under controlled conditions and without unusual contamination. Operations involving the biliary tract are included in this category, provided no evidence of infection or major break in technique is encountered |
| Class III/contaminated | Open, fresh, accidental wounds. In addition, operations with major breaks in sterile technique (eg, open cardiac massage) or gross spillage from the gastrointestinal tract and incisions in which acute, nonpurulent inflammation is encountered are included in this category |
| Class IV/dirty infected | Old traumatic wounds with retained devitalised tissue and those that involve existing clinical infection or perforated viscera. This definition suggests that the organisms causing postoperative infection were present in the operative field before the operation |