Which type of wound involves a violation of sterile fields with gross spillage of infectious content?

A wound that involves a violation of sterile fields with gross spillage of infectious content is best classified as a gross contaminated wound. This type of wound results from a situation where there is significant exposure to infectious agents, making it highly contaminated. The definition emphasizes the severity of contamination, indicating that there is a high risk of infection due to the presence of pathogens in sizeable quantities.

In surgical terminology, wounds are classified based on their level of contamination. Clean wounds are those where there is no violation of sterile technique, and there is no risk of infection. Clean-contaminated wounds involve a surgical incision that enters the respiratory, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary tracts under controlled conditions but may contain some presence of bacteria without gross contamination. Contaminated wounds typically come from breaks in sterile technique or fresh traumatic wounds that may introduce bacteria but are not as severe as gross contamination.

The term "gross contaminated" highlights the seriousness of the contamination, justifying the classification based on the nature of the exposure to infectious material during or after surgical procedures.