Antibiotics are used to treat most wound infections. Sometimes, you also may need surgery to treat the infection. You may be started on antibiotics to treat the surgical wound infection. The length of time you will need to take the antibiotics varies, but will typically be for at least 1 week.
The wound will not heal correctly unless the infection is cleared. Infection in a wound may also spread if it is not treated. In most cases, antibiotic medicines are prescribed to treat a wound infection.
Watch out for any signs of infection near or around the stitches, such as: swelling. increased redness around the wound. pus or bleeding from the wound.
If the skin around your wound is red, swollen, hot, painful, or leaking blood or pus, contact your doctor right away. Fever or red streaks around the wound are signs of infection that need to be addressed urgently.
Should you keep stitches covered? You'll likely leave the hospital or your provider's office with your stitches already covered, and Dr. Yaakovian recommends leaving them dressed for two to three days. During this time, avoid getting the covering wet.
Signs that a wound is not healing properly and may be infected include feeling warm to the touch, swelling, discharge or pus, long lasting pain, or fever.
It is normal for stitches or staples to cause a small amount of skin redness and swelling where the stitch or staple enters the skin. Your wound may itch or feel irritated. Check your wound every day for signs of infection.
Keep the area clean and dry for the first 24 to 48 hours after stitches have been placed. Then, you can start to gently wash around the site 1 to 2 times daily. Wash with cool water and soap. Clean as close to the stitches as you can.
If you have sutures (stitches): -Apply Vaseline or Aquaphor healing ointment to the sutured site 3-4x/ day for the next three to four days. The ointment will help the wound heal more quickly and minimize scarring.
In fact, it is not unusual for stitches to become infected even though they are allegedly “dissolvable.” At Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP, our Miami medical malpractice attorneys can review whether you may sue for compensation. Give us a call.
A layer of polysporin or bacitracin ointment must be kept over the sutures until they are removed. You may leave the incision site covered or uncovered during the day it is your preference, however, we do recommend that a layer of the antibiotic ointment be kept over the sutures at all times.
Flucloxacillin or cefalexin are the mainstays of empiric antibiotic treatment for skin infections, including wounds. Alternatives include erythromycin and co-trimoxazole (if MRSA is present). Depending on the clinical circumstances, a wound swab may be required in addition to empiric antibiotics.
After 48 hours, surgical wounds can get wet without increasing the risk of infection. After this time, you can get your stitches wet briefly with a light spray (such as in the shower), but they should not be soaked (for example, in the bath).
A: Airing out most wounds isn't beneficial because wounds need moisture to heal. Leaving a wound uncovered may dry out new surface cells, which can increase pain or slow the healing process. Most wound treatments or coverings promote a moist — but not overly wet — wound surface.
In general, the greater the tension across a wound, the longer the sutures should remain in place. As a guide, on the face, sutures should be removed in 5-7 days; on the neck, 7 days; on the scalp, 10 days; on the trunk and upper extremities, 10-14 days; and on the lower extremities, 14-21 days.
Treat the area with care. A greasy ointment, e.g. Vaseline, can be applied directly over the stitches twice daily.
rinse the wound under running tap water for 5 to 10 minutes. soak a gauze pad or cloth in saline solution or tap water, or use an alcohol-free wipe, and gently dab or wipe the skin with it – don't use antiseptic as this may damage the skin.
Pain that doesn't subside. Warm or hot skin that doesn't abate after a day or two. Discharge from the wound (especially yellow or green) Foul odor.
Fighting Infection
Contact a doctor if you have any of the following: Redness spreading out from the wound. Increased pain or swelling. Difficulty moving the affected area.
Wound bed. Healthy granulation tissue is pink in colour and is an indicator of healing. Unhealthy granulation is dark red in colour, often bleeds on contact, and may indicate the presence of wound infection.