In wound healing, which type is most likely to require a longer hospital stay due to slower closure?

• A. Primary intention healing
• B. Secondary intention healing
• C. Tertiary intention healing
• D. Neoepithelialization healing

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how quickly a wound is closed and how this affects the need for ongoing care. Delayed primary closure, or tertiary intention healing, keeps a wound open on purpose to control infection, remove debris, or drain before it’s finally closed. This two-phase process slows the overall closure and often requires longer hospitalization for wound management and monitoring. In contrast, primary intention healing closes a clean wound promptly with sutures, leading to faster healing and typically shorter stays. Secondary intention healing lets the wound close by granulation and contraction without initial closure, which takes longer than primary but isn’t the staged process seen with tertiary intention. Neoepithelialization is part of healing—the epidermis regrows—rather than a distinct closure strategy, so it doesn’t alone predict a longer hospital stay.