Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) Practice Exam 2025 – The All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

A surgical wound classified as "clean" indicates it is uninfected and has not been exposed to any contaminating factors. This type of wound typically results from a surgical procedure where no entry is made into the respiratory, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary tracts, minimizing the risk of introducing pathogens. The primary characteristic of a clean wound is that it remains sterile and has a low risk of infection.

When considering the other classifications, contaminated wounds involve a presence of microorganisms due to factors like a breach in sterile technique or skin integrity, while dirty wounds are those that show evidence of infection or contain pus. Clean-contaminated wounds, on the other hand, are surgical in nature with a controlled entry into the respiratory, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary systems but may have a higher risk for infection compared to clean wounds. Therefore, identifying a wound as clean reflects its status as uninfected and the absence of significant microbial presence, highlighting appropriate surgical practices and postoperative care.