Color is generally clear to pale yellow (normal), red (fresh blood), brown (dried or old blood), white (see above), or blue-green (usually indicative of Pseudomonas infection and should be cultured).
Purulent Wound Drainage
Purulent drainage is a sign of infection. It's a white, yellow, or brown fluid and might be slightly thick in texture. It's made up of white blood cells trying to fight the infection, plus the residue from any bacteria pushed out of the wound.
Normal wound drainage involves the discharge of thin, watery fluids that may be clear or contain tiny amounts of blood. Abnormal wound drainage is when the discharge is thick, bloody, or has a milky white, yellow, green, gray, or brown color (often with a foul smell).
Light or moderate drainage is considered normal. A large amount of drainage may indicate an infection. Color: Wound drainage that is part of the healing process is usually clear or has a pale hue. Slightly colored drainage or discharge that changes color may be a sign of an infection.
After the initial discharge of a bit of pus and blood, your wound should be clear. If the discharge continues through the wound healing process and begins to smell bad or have discoloration, it's probably a sign of infection.
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.
It's common to have small amounts of fluid drain or ooze from a scrape. This oozing usually clears up gradually and stops within 4 days. Drainage is not a concern as long as there are no signs of infection.
Serous drainage
It is often thin and watery and will usually have a clear to yellowish or brownish appearance. Small amounts of serous drainage are normal during the first stages of healing.
Vaginal discharge that is chunky, foamy or accompanied by itching and changes in color may mean you have an infection. Color: Vaginal discharge is healthy if it's clear, milky white or off-white. Dark yellow, brown, green or grey discharge may indicate an infection or other issue.
Purulent wound drainage is thick with a yellow, green or brown color, with a pungent, strong, foul, fecal or musty odor. Purulent drainage is a sign of an unhealthy wound and demands treatment.
A wound should be covered using a clean bandage. Before placing the bandage on your skin, apply a thin layer of topical antibiotic ointment over the wound. This ointment provides two benefits. The first benefit is that it will help keep the wound from becoming infected.
Wound drainage that turns cloudy, yellow, or tan is called seropurulent and is usually a sign that the wound is becoming colonized and treatment changes are needed.
Yellow pus
A possible indicator of a staph infection or strep.
Serous drainage is a clear, thin, and watery exudate that typically appears during the inflammatory stage of wound healing.
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.
When Vaginal Discharge Is a Problem. If you're producing more than 4 ml a day, however, that could be a sign of several different conditions. Vaginitis—which causes itching due to a bacterial imbalance (an extreme and uncommon type of vaginitis is desquamative inflammatory vaginitis.)
Signs of Abnormal Discharge
Bright yellow or green discharge could be a concern. Thick, clumped, or chunky discharge (like cottage cheese) or extra watery discharge can also mean something is amiss. Some other signs of infection include: Itching, discomfort, or rash.
You also may see some clear fluid oozing from the wound. This fluid helps clean the area. Blood vessels open in the area, so blood can bring oxygen and nutrients to the wound. Oxygen is essential for healing.
A wound that's healing can produce a clear or pink fluid. An infected wound can produce a yellowish, bad-smelling fluid called pus. When fluid seeps from a wound, it is called wound drainage.
If a wound isn't healing or there is redness, increasing pain, swelling, warmth, oozing or pus, or the wound smells, you should seek medical attention immediately, as it may be infected. Fever is also a sign of infection.
If you have a weeping wound, it's important to absorb the excess fluid without drying it out and apply an appropriate wound dressing. Always see a doctor if the wound is deep, bleeds heavily or shows signs of infection like reddening, swelling or warmth.
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).