CDC surgical wound classification

Intensive care and infectious diseases

Also known as: Wundklassifikation nach CDC (Kontaminationsklassen I-IV) · CDC cerrahi yara sınıflaması · CDC surgical wound classification (classes I-IV)

What it is for

The surgical wound classification grades the degree of microbial contamination of an operative wound at the time of surgery (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC).

Classification

Category	Description
Class I clean	uninfected operative wound without inflammation in which the respiratory, alimentary, genital or uninfected urinary tract is not entered; primarily closed (closed drainage if needed). Incisions after blunt trauma belong here if they meet these criteria.
Class II clean-contaminated	the respiratory, alimentary, genital or urinary tract is entered under controlled conditions without unusual contamination, e.g. operations on the biliary tract, appendix, vagina or oropharynx without infection or a major break in technique.
Class III contaminated	open, fresh, accidental wounds; operations with a major break in sterile technique or gross spillage from the gastrointestinal tract; incisions into acute, non-purulent inflammation.
Class IV dirty-infected	old traumatic wounds with retained devitalised tissue, and wounds involving existing clinical infection or perforated viscera.