How to Evaluate a Wound for Signs of Infection

Many wounds can be treated at home with simple first-aid kits. However, there are times when even the simplest of cuts or scrapes can require the help of professionals. Infection is one such case. Wounds should be closely monitored during the healing phase. Signs of infection can easily be detected using little more than human senses.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Give the affected area a sight evaluation. Certain signs of infection are readily apparent to the naked eye: redness, excessive swelling, red streaks that begin at the wound and travel outward, and yellow or cloudy drainage emitting from the wound. Observing one or more of these symptoms can be an indication of infection.

2. Administer a smell test. Check for unusual or foul odors emitting from wound discharge or the wound itself. In most cases, foul smells indicate bacterial colonization in the affected area. In extreme cases, a wound's foul smell can be a symptom of necrosis, or tissue death.

3. Do a touch evaluation. Several infection symptoms can be detected by using sense of touch: swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, groin and neck areas, tenderness and swelling, heat in the area surrounding the wound and high fever.

Tips & Warnings

• Serious signs of infection should be brought to a doctor's attention immediately. Common signs of serious infection are chills and high fever. In rare cases, infection can make its way to the bone marrow, causing bone to be exposed through the wound. Call a physician or visit a local ER if any of these signs are present.

References

• McKinley Health Center
• The Childrens' Hospital
• Medical Moment

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Need Cash For An Emergency? Auto Repair, Medical or Home Emergency—CashNetUSA.com is here to help you take control.
• How to Lose 30+lbs Guaranteed. Try it Free.