Wound Management & Surgical Complications Flashcards

A wound that is left open initially and then closed several days later after infection risk decreases is classified as:

Answer: Tertiary intention (delayed primary closure)

Tertiary intention (delayed primary closure) involves intentionally leaving a wound open to reduce infection risk and closing it surgically 3–5 days later.

Which complication is characterized by a loop of bowel protruding through an abdominal incision after surgery?

Answer: Evisceration

Evisceration is the protrusion of abdominal viscera (bowel) through a disrupted surgical incision, a surgical emergency requiring immediate intervention.

When a surgical site infection (SSI) occurs within the skin and subcutaneous tissue only, it is classified as:

Answer: Superficial incisional SSI

The CDC classifies SSIs as superficial incisional (skin/subcutaneous), deep incisional (fascia/muscle), or organ/space (body cavity), based on the depth of involvement.

Which suture technique provides the strongest abdominal fascial closure?

Answer: Figure-of-eight suture

The figure-of-eight suture provides a mass closure with double-strand reinforcement at each bite, making it particularly strong for high-tension fascial closures.

A patient's wound shows redness, warmth, swelling, and purulent drainage on postoperative day 4. The MOST likely diagnosis is:

Answer: Surgical site infection

Classic signs of surgical site infection (SSI) include the cardinal signs of inflammation plus purulent drainage, typically appearing 4–8 days postoperatively.

Which factor is the MOST significant risk for developing a postoperative surgical site infection?

Answer: Preoperative diabetes mellitus with poor glycemic control

Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus is one of the strongest independent risk factors for SSI due to impaired neutrophil function, decreased tissue perfusion, and delayed healing.