Which term describes the wound closure method known as delayed primary closure?

• A. Quaternary
• B. Tertiary (Delayed primary)
• C. Primary
• D. Secondary

Answer: (B)

Delayed primary closure is another name for tertiary intention healing. In this approach, a wound is not closed immediately after injury or debridement; instead, it is left open long enough for drainage, edema to subside, and infection risk to decrease. After this observation period, the wound is closed surgically. This combines the benefits of cleaning the wound and reducing infection risk with the durability of a later closure.

This differs from immediate closure (primary) where the edges are brought together right away, and from healing left to close on its own (secondary) where no surgical closure is attempted and the wound heals by granulation and contraction. Quaternary isn’t a standard term used for wound closure in this context.