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.
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.
feeling generally unwell – not able to get out of bed. flu-like symptoms – feeling cold and shivery, headaches, and aching muscles. coughing up green phlegm. a sore throat or sore mouth.
But antibiotics only treat infections caused by bacteria. They don't work on viruses. The good news is that viral infections usually aren't serious. Most will go away in a few days without medical treatment.
Sepsis Diagnosis
Signs of infection on an X-ray, CT scan, or ultrasound. A high or low white blood cell count. A low number of platelets in your blood. Low blood pressure.
Sepsis can be divided into three stages: sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock.
Doctors may use blood tests to determine whether you have an infection. The only way to determine what type of bacteria is causing an infection is with a tissue or fluid sample culture. Information from these tests can help the doctor select the most effective antibiotic.
Left untreated, toxins produced by bacteria can damage the small blood vessels, causing them to leak fluid into the surrounding tissues. This can affect your heart's ability to pump blood to your organs, which lowers your blood pressure and means blood doesn't reach vital organs, such as the brain and liver.
Whether it's a surgical wound or one that seemed minor at first but is getting worse instead of better, any wound that's infected should be evaluated by a medical provider. Signs a wound may be infected include: Increasing pain or redness. Drainage or bleeding that won't stop.
If you or your loved one has an infection that's not getting better or is getting worse, ACT FAST. Get medical care IMMEDIATELY.
Many viral and bacterial infections can be treated at home or with urgent care. However, you may need go to the emergency room if your symptoms are severe or if you are in a high-risk group.
Any infection can worsen quite quickly. Simple infections can become life threatening within hours if not treated. Your nurse, doctor, or pharmacist will tell you about the symptoms of infection to look out for. And they will explain when you need to call your advice line or return to the hospital.
If the infection has spread or you have a generalized infection, you may develop other signs and symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, pain, etc. Sometimes however, you may have an infection and not know it, and not have any symptoms.
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.
Sepsis can develop quickly from initial infection and progress to septic shock in as little as 12 to 24 hours. 1 You may have an infection that's not improving or you could even be sick without realizing it.
a high temperature (fever) or low body temperature. a change in mental state – like confusion or disorientation. slurred speech. cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin.
blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis. difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast.
As sepsis worsens or septic shock develops, an early sign, particularly in older people or the very young, may be confusion or decreased alertness. Blood pressure decreases, yet the skin is paradoxically warm. Later, extremities become cool and pale, with peripheral cyanosis and mottling.
Many mild bacterial infections get better on their own without using antibiotics. Antibiotics do not work for viral infections such as colds and flu, and most coughs. Antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat: chest infections.
Diagnosis of Bacterial and Viral Infections
But your doctor may be able to determine the cause by listening to your medical history and doing a physical exam. If necessary, they also can order a blood or urine test to help confirm a diagnosis, or a "culture test" of tissue to identify bacteria or viruses.