Antiseptic: A substance that inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Antiseptics are commonly used in surgical site preparation and irrigation solutions (eg, chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine).

Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG): A broad-spectrum antiseptic agent used for preoperative skin cleansing and wound irrigation. It has strong activity against Gram-positive organisms and is used in concentrations like 0.05% for irrigation.

Clean Wound (Class I): A surgical wound classification for uninfected operative wounds with no inflammation and no entry into respiratory, alimentary, genital, or urinary tracts.

Clean-Contaminated Wound (Class II): This signifies operative wounds that may have a low level of contamination, possibly due to necessity of controlled entry into the respiratory, alimentary, genital, or urinary tracts.

Contaminated Wound (Class III): A surgical wound classification involving major breaks in sterile technique, gross spillage from the gastrointestinal tract, or acute non-purulent inflammation.

Dirty-Infected Wound (Class IV): Wounds with preexisting infection or perforated viscera at the time of surgery. These wounds show signs of purulence or devitalized tissue.

Hemostasis: The stopping of bleeding. A wound should be hemostatically stable before irrigation to ensure adequate visualization and prevent disruption of clot formation.

Irrigation: The act of flushing a wound with a fluid (eg, saline, sterile water, antiseptic solutions) to remove debris and reduce microbial contamination, commonly used intraoperatively.

Perioperative: The period encompassing preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of a patient’s surgical experience.

Preoperative Prophylactic Antibiotics: Antibiotics administered before surgery to reduce the risk of SSI. Timing is critical; prophylactic antibiotics are typically administered 30–60 minutes before incision.

Surgical Site Infection (SSI): An infection occurring at or near the surgical incision site within 30 days of the procedure (or within 90 days if prosthetic material is implanted).

Sterile Technique: A set of practices used to eliminate all microorganisms from the surgical field, including the use of sterile gloves, gowns, instruments, and drapes.

Surgical Wound Classification: A system created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to categorize wounds based on contamination: Clean (I), Clean-Contaminated (II), Contaminated (III), Dirty-Infected (IV).

Wound Debridement: The surgical removal of devitalized tissue, debris, or contaminants to facilitate effective wound healing and reduce infection risk.