Which one of the following is a characteristic of clean contaminated surgical wounds?

• A. They are typically not at risk for infection.
• B. They involve a technique that has a greater risk of contamination.
• C. They are created under sterile conditions.
• D. They usually heal without intervention.

Answer: (B)

Clean contaminated surgical wounds are characterized by the fact that they involve a surgical procedure where the respiratory, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary tracts are entered under controlled conditions. This entry, despite being performed in a sterile environment, carries a greater risk of contamination compared to clean wounds because the natural flora of these systems can introduce bacteria into the surgical site.

The use of proper sterile technique and precautions helps minimize this risk, but the nature of the procedures themselves implies an increased potential for contamination due to the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria in these areas of the body. Therefore, while these wounds are generally not infected at the time of surgery, they require vigilance and careful postoperative management to prevent infection postoperatively.

In contrast, other options presented do not accurately describe clean contaminated surgical wounds. For example, wounds that are not at risk for infection typically fall into the clean category, those created under sterile conditions can also include clean wounds, and while many surgical wounds may heal without intervention, the classified risk of increased infection due to the procedure itself does not support this statement for clean contaminated wounds.