Wounds that are too contaminated to close initially but may be closed after 3-4 days are categorized as which type?

• A. Primary Intention
• B. Secondary Intention
• C. Tertiary Intention
• D. Quartiary Intention

Answer: (C)

Delayed primary closure, or tertiary intention, is used for wounds that are too contaminated to close right away. The wound is left open for a few days after thorough cleaning and debridement so infection risk can decrease, and then it is closed by primary intention once it’s clean enough (often around 3–4 days). This contrasts with immediate closure of clean wounds (primary) and with leaving a wound to heal by granulation without later surgical closure (secondary). The term quaternary isn’t a standard option in this context.