Medical Terminology for Infected Wounds
The medical term for an infected wound depends on the anatomical location and depth: "surgical site infection" (SSI) for postoperative wounds, "wound infection" for general traumatic or chronic wounds, and "diabetic foot infection" (DFI) for infected foot wounds in diabetic patients. 1, 2
Primary Terminology by Context
Surgical Wounds
- Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is the formal medical term for infected surgical wounds, defined as infections occurring within 30 days after surgery (or up to 1 year if prosthetic material was implanted) 1, 2
- SSIs are further classified into three anatomical categories: superficial incisional (involving skin and subcutaneous tissue), deep incisional (involving fascia and muscle), and organ/space infections (involving organs or spaces distinct from the incision) 1
Diabetic Foot Wounds
- Diabetic Foot Infection (DFI) is the specific term for infected wounds below the malleoli in patients with diabetes 2
- DFI is defined clinically by the presence of ≥2 classic signs of inflammation: local swelling/induration, erythema, tenderness/pain, warmth, or purulent discharge 2
General Wound Terminology
- Wound infection is the general term used for any wound where microorganisms invade and multiply in host tissues, inducing an inflammatory response and tissue damage 3, 4
- This distinguishes from wound colonization, where bacteria are present on the wound surface without tissue invasion or inflammatory response 2
Diagnostic Criteria
Clinical Signs (Classic Inflammatory Markers)
- The traditional signs are: dolor (pain), rubor (redness), calor (warmth), tumor (swelling), and functio laesa (loss of function) 5
- Purulent drainage is diagnostic of infection without requiring culture confirmation 2, 1
- Spreading cellulitis (erythema extending >0.5 cm from wound margins) indicates infection 2
Important Caveats
- Patients with peripheral neuropathy may not exhibit pain or tenderness, and those with peripheral arterial disease may have diminished erythema and warmth, making clinical diagnosis more challenging 2
- Not all wounds with bacteria are infected—colonization is universal in open wounds and does not require treatment 2
Microbiological Confirmation
When Culture is Diagnostic
- Growth of >10⁵ bacteria per gram of tissue from deep tissue biopsy is diagnostic of wound infection 2
- Organisms cultured from aseptically collected deep fluid or tissue samples confirm infection 2
- β-hemolytic streptococci are considered pathogenic at any concentration 2