Surgical Categories/Procedure Classification

Question 1

Emergency sx

Answer 1

Life threatening
GDV
Severe thoracic injury (rupture; d.hernia)
Perforated bowel
Pyometra

Question 2

Urgent sx

Answer 2

Necessary but not immediately life threatening
Long bone fracture repair
Some GI sx eg. FB removal
Infected dew claw removal

Question 3

Elective sx

Answer 3

Patient usually young & healthy
No risk to life
Routine neutering

Question 4

Reasons for delay of emergency/urgent sx

Answer 4

Stabilisation eg. Shock
Investigation eg. Diagnostics
IVFT/transfusions
More pressing injuries

Question 5

Clean procedure

Answer 5

Sterile
Wound made aseptically
No break in aseptic technique
Ortho
OVH

Question 6

Clean-contaminated

Answer 6

Wound made aseptically
Entering oropharynx/resp. or alimentary tracts
No source of contamination
Tracheotomy
Gastronomy
Enterotomy 
Lung lobectomy

Question 7

Contaminated procedure

Answer 7

Major spill of contaminated material
Break in sterile technique
Entry into viscera w/bacterial load
Colon/rectum/urogenital tract/oral sx
Colonic ex-lap
Cystotomy

Question 8

Infected/dirty procedure

Answer 8

Site known to be infected
Infected stitch-up
Pyo