Certified Nurses Operating Room (CNOR) Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A gunshot wound during surgical procedures is classified as a Dirty/Infected Class wound due to the nature of the injury and the potential for contamination. This classification is used for wounds that are considered to be infected or have a high risk of infection because they are caused by external forces, like bullets, that introduce foreign materials, bacteria, and other pathogens into the tissue.

In surgical settings, a Dirty/Infected classification indicates that the wound has a significant bacterial load, possibly including necrotic tissue, and is likely to be complicated by the presence of pus or other biological debris. This classification necessitates a careful surgical approach to manage infection and may require the use of antibiotics and infection control measures.

Other classifications, such as Clean, Contaminated, or Clean/Contaminated, are used for different types of wounds where the risk of infection is either low or moderated, but in the case of a gunshot wound, the risk is significantly elevated, which is why it is categorized as Dirty/Infected.