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).
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). The amount of drainage is generally documented as absent, scant, minimal, moderate, large, or copious.
Purulent Wound Drainage
Exudate that becomes a thick, milky liquid or a thick liquid that turns yellow, tan, gray, green, or brown is almost always a sign that infection is present. This drainage contains white blood cells, dead bacteria, wound debris, and inflammatory cells.
The area may be swollen, sore, and red in color right after you've sustained your injury. This is normal as blood is being sent to the area to supply oxygen and other nutrients for healing. But if the wound is still red and swollen after five days, it's a sign that your body is not healing correctly.
If the drainage is thin and clear, it's serum, also known as serous fluid. This is typical when the wound is healing, but the inflammation around the injury is still high. A small amount of serous drainage is normal. Excessive serous fluid could be a sign of too much unhealthy bacteria on the surface of the wound.
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.
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.
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.
See your doctor immediately if you notice a change in color or odor of the fluid oozing from your wound. Purulent drainage is yellow, green, brown, or white and has a strong odor. The earlier an infection is caught, the easier it can be treated.
The color of your vaginal discharge can mean there's a problem: Yellow, grey or green: Yellow, grey or green discharge may suggest a bacterial or sexually transmitted infection (STI). Brown or red: Brown or red discharge is usually related to irregular menstruation or pregnancy (implantation bleeding).
Clean the wound and apply a dressing
When the wound has stopped bleeding, clean it and cover it with a dressing to help stop it becoming infected. To do this: wash and dry your hands thoroughly. clean the wound under drinking-quality running tap water – avoid using antiseptic as it may damage the skin and slow healing.
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.
Serous drainage is composed mainly of plasma. 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.
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).
Signs of wound infection
But cloudy, yellow-ish drainage or purulent discharge with a pungent or foul odor accompanied with swelling and elevated pain is a sign of an infected wound. Pimple: When a pimple-like crust forms on an injury, it indicates an infection.
If you have a scab, it's considered normal to see it change into a yellowish color over time. This is completely normal and is the result of the hemoglobin from red blood cells in the scab being broken down and washed away.
How long it takes: Usually about 4-6 days. Signs it's working: During this stage of healing, you may experience swelling, redness or pain while your wound heals. Your skin may also feel hot to the touch, and you may see a clear liquid around your wound.
A moist environment has been proven to facilitate the healing process of the wound by preventing dehydration and enhancing angiogenesis and collagen synthesis together with increased breakdown of dead tissue and fibrin.
Betadine is used on the skin to treat or prevent skin infection in minor cuts, scrapes, or burns. Betadine is also used in a medical setting to help prevent infection and promote healing in skin wounds, pressure sores, or surgical incisions.
Discharge that is a darker shade of yellow, yellowish-green, or green usually signals a bacterial or sexually transmitted infection. See a doctor promptly if vaginal discharge is thick or clumpy, or it has a foul odor.
These signs can mean there's a problem with a girl's discharge: a change in odor, especially an unpleasant odor. a change in color, especially greenish, grayish, or anything looking like pus. a change in texture, such as foamy or looking like cottage cheese.