It shows signs of infection
Signs a wound may be infected include: Increasing pain or redness. Drainage or bleeding that won't stop. Fever and chills.
Signs of a wound infection
The skin around your wound is red or sore, or feels hot and swollen. Your wound has liquid (often green or yellow pus) coming out of it. Your wound opens. You feel generally unwell or have a temperature (fever).
Infected wounds can lead to serious health issues if ignored, damaging surrounding skin and even bone structure. If an infection spreads to the blood vessels it can affect other parts of the body as well.
While some minor wound infections can heal on their own, untreated infected wounds can leave a scar, at best, or lead to more serious complications — including death — at worst.
Wounds need to be covered so that they can heal properly. When a wound is left uncovered, the new surface cells that are being created can easily dry out. When these important cells dry out, it tends to slow down the healing process. A wound should be covered using a clean bandage.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if: a wound has soil, pus or body fluids in it, or it's still dirty after cleaning it. you were bitten by a person or a wild or stray animal. a cut is swollen, red and getting more painful or pus is coming out of it.
As the wound begins to dry, a crust starts to form in the outer layer. If the crust is yellowish and if there is a formation of pimples on or near the wound, it could be septic. Sores that look like blisters. If there is a formation of sores which look like pockets of fluid around the area, they could be septic.
It's normal for the area to be red right after the injury took place. This is because red blood cells are being sent there to supply oxygen and other nutrients. However, persistent redness and swelling after five days could indicate an infected wound.
Scabs can sometimes turn yellow as a wound heals. However, yellow scabs can sometimes indicate a skin infection, such as impetigo and cold sores. Although scabs are usually dark red, they can go through many color and texture changes while the wound is healing.
Indicators of wound infection include redness, swelling, purulent exudate, smell, pain, and systemic illness in the absence of other foci. Subtle signs of local wound infection include unhealthy “foamy” granulation tissue, contact bleeding, tissue breakdown, and epithelial bridging.
Avoid using hydrogen peroxide or iodine on the wound as these may cause skin irritation in some people. Stop using other antiseptic ointments if they cause skin irritation. Do not pick at the skin or the scab, as this can lead to scarring, slow healing, and increase the risk of infection.
Your doctor might need to drain the abscess to clear the infection entirely. In very serious cases, an infection in a wound can spread beyond the original location. It could become a septic infection that affects your whole body. When this happens, you might need hospital care.
Like minor cuts and burns, it's important to keep skin abrasions covered. A bandage will help keep the injury moist, which promotes healing. Covering the area will also keep bacteria away.
Apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment, such as NEOSPORIN®, to prevent the spread of infection. Wrap your wound in a bandage to protect it and retain moisture. Change the dressing at least once a day, or sooner if it's wet or dirty, and keep an eye out for signs of infection.
2. Treat the Wound with a Topical Antibiotic. Infected cuts and scrapes heal much more slowly than those kept clean and infection-free. One of the best ointments to treat infection is NEOSPORIN® — the #1 doctor recommended brand of topical antibiotic in the US.
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. Such wounds should be cultured and treated in the light of microbiological results.
It may take days, weeks, or even months for the wound to be clean, clear of infection, and finally heal.
Signs of sepsis are: • Pale, blotchy or blue skin, lips or tongue. Blotchy skin is when parts of your skin are a different colour than normal. Sometimes it is hard to know if you or somebody you look after has sepsis, or if it is something else, like flu or a chest infection.