A wound infection occurs when germs, such as bacteria, grow within the damaged skin of a wound. Symptoms can include increasing pain, swelling, and redness. More severe infections may cause nausea, chills, or fever.

A person may exist able to treat minor wound infections at habitation. Still, people with more than severe or persistent wound infections should seek medical attention.

In this article, nosotros describe how to prevent, recognize, and treat an infected wound. We besides cover hazard factors, complications, when to see a doctor, and medical handling.

girl with bandage on knee wondering how to treat an infected wound
A person with a small wound or infection tin usually treat them at habitation.

People can usually safely care for small wounds, such as minor cuts and scratches, at domicile. With proper care, almost small wounds volition gradually get improve until they fully heal.

If a wound becomes infected, even so, it can get worse instead of better. Any hurting, redness, and swelling will typically increase in intensity.

Wound infections can too lead to other symptoms, such every bit:

  • warm skin around the wound
  • yellow or green discharge coming from the wound
  • the wound giving off an unpleasant odor
  • blood-red streaks on the pare around the wound
  • fever and chills
  • aches and pains
  • nausea
  • airsickness

People with a mild infection of a minor wound may exist able to treat the wound at home. However, more severe wound infections require prompt medical attention, especially those that occur along with other symptoms, such equally fever, feeling unwell, or discharge and red streaks coming from the wound.

To care for an infected wound at domicile, follow these steps:

  1. Before beginning, ensure that all necessary equipment is clean. For case, if using tweezers, clean them with rubbing alcohol kickoff.
  2. Thoroughly wash the hands with lather and warm water, and so rinse and dry them.
  3. Clean the cutting or scrape by running warm h2o over it for several minutes. Employ warm, soapy h2o to make clean the surrounding skin, merely avoid getting lather in the wound.
  4. Make sure that at that place is no dirt or debris, such equally glass or gravel, in the wound. To remove debris, either apply tweezers or carefully and gently rub the wound with a soft, damp cloth.
  5. If desired, apply a thin layer of antiseptic ointment or petroleum jelly to the cut or scrape.
  6. Permit the skin to air-dry out earlier covering information technology with gauze or a bandage. In that location is usually no need to embrace pocket-sized cuts and scrapes.

Other tips for treating wounds at habitation include:

  • Modify the wound dressing at to the lowest degree once a day. Replace it immediately if it gets clammy or dirty.
  • Gently launder the wound each day.
  • Avert using hydrogen peroxide or iodine on the wound as these may cause skin irritation in some people. Finish using other clarified ointments if they cause skin irritation.
  • Practice not pick at the peel or the scab as this can pb to scarring, slow downwards healing, and increase the risk of infection.
  • If the wound does not show signs of improvement inside i–two days, run across a physician.

man washing wound on his foot with water
A person should wash the wound immediately to forbid infection.

Cleaning and protecting a wound can reduce the take chances of infection. After sustaining a minor cutting or scratch, a person should:

  1. Wash the wound immediately by running clean water over information technology for several minutes. Then, clean the skin around the wound with warm, soapy h2o. If it is not possible to use clean water, treat the wound with booze wipes.
  2. Allow the peel to air-dry.
  3. Employ an antiseptic ointment to the wound.
  4. Protect the injury with gauze or another suitable dressing.

People with larger wounds or excessive bleeding will require medical treatment. A healthcare professional tin can treat the injury to prevent infection and other complications.

People with animal bites or wounds from dirty or rusty objects may be at risk of tetanus and should as well seek medical attention. A healthcare professional person tin can clean the wound and give the person a shot to protect against tetanus infection if necessary.

Tetanus is a potentially fatal condition that occurs when certain bacteria enter the body and release toxins that affect the fretfulness. The symptoms of tetanus tin include painful muscle spasms, lockjaw, and fever.

Cuts, grazes, and other breaks in the peel tin can go infected when bacteria enter the wound and begin to multiply. The bacteria may come up from the surrounding skin, the external environment, or the object that caused the injury.

It is important to clean and protect the wound properly to reduce the run a risk of infection.

The hazard of wound infection is higher if:

  • the wound is large, deep, or has a jagged edge
  • dirt or strange particles entered the wound
  • the crusade of the wound was a seize with teeth from an animal or some other person
  • the cause of the wound was an injury involving a dirty, rusty, or contaminated object

Certain health conditions and environmental factors tin can too increment the risk of infection. These include:

  • diabetes
  • poor claret apportionment
  • a weakened allowed system, such as in people living with HIV or those taking immunosuppressant medications
  • lack of mobility, for example, in people who spend most of their time in bed
  • advancing age — older adults are more at adventure of wound infection
  • nutrient and vitamin deficiencies

Rarely, incision wounds from surgical procedures can also become infected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), betwixt 2006 and 2008, nigh 1.nine per centum of surgical wounds became infected in people having operations in the United states of america.

If a person does non receive treatment for a wound infection, it tin can spread to other parts of the torso, which may atomic number 82 to serious complications, including:

  • Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers and tissues of the peel, and it can crusade swelling, redness, and pain in the afflicted surface area. Other symptoms tin can include fever, dizziness, and nausea and vomiting.
  • Osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection of the os, and symptoms include pain, redness, and swelling around the infected expanse. Fatigue and fever are other symptoms that may touch those with osteomyelitis.
  • Sepsis is an extreme immune reaction that can sometimes occur when an infection enters the bloodstream. Sepsis tin pb to multiple organ failure and is life-threatening. According to the CDC, nearly 270,000 people in the U.S. die each year due to sepsis.
  • Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare condition that occurs when a bacterial infection spreads into a tissue called the fascial lining that lies deep beneath the skin. Necrotizing fasciitis is a medical emergency that causes astringent skin damage and pain and tin spread throughout the body.

A person with a wound should seek medical attending if:

  • the wound is large, deep, or has jagged edges
  • the edges of the wound practise not stay together
  • symptoms of infection occur, such as fever, increasing pain or redness, or belch from the wound
  • it is non possible to clean the wound properly or remove all debris, such equally glass or gravel
  • the crusade of the wound was a bite or an injury from a dirty, rusty, or contaminated object

Seek urgent medical attention if blood is spurting from the wound or if applying pressure to the wound does non stop the bleeding.

man taking antibiotics with water
A md may treat an infection with antibiotics.

Doctors can treat a bacterial infection with antibiotics. It is of import for a person to complete the form of antibiotics to treat the infection fully and to prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant to the drug.

In addition to cleaning, some wounds may crave further treatment. If the cut is large or deep, for example, a physician or nurse may have to utilize stitches to close it. They can often close smaller cuts with medical glue or strips of tape instead.

If the wound contains dead or contaminated tissue, a physician may remove this tissue in a process chosen debridement. Debridement should promote healing and prevent the infection from spreading.

A person might require a tetanus shot if the cause of the wound was a bite or an injury from a dingy or rusty object.

The CDC recommend that adults get a tetanus booster shot every x years to protect them against tetanus infection. However, for certain types of wound, a medico may still prescribe a tetanus shot for people who accept non had ane in the past v years.

A wound infection can occur if bacteria enter and multiply inside the wound. Immediately cleaning and dressing cuts, grazes, and other small wounds is the best way to prevent infections. However, people with larger, deeper, or more serious wounds should have a trained healthcare professional person treat the injury.

The signs and symptoms of wound infection can include increasing pain, swelling, and redness around the afflicted area. A person may exist able to treat a mild infection of a pocket-size wound at dwelling house by recleaning and redressing the wound.

Notwithstanding, more severe wound infections require prompt medical attention, particularly those that occur along with fever, feeling unwell, or discharge and red streaks coming from the wound.

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