Signs of Wound Infection You Must Not Ignore

Knowing how to identify whether a wound is infected is important; especially when you have an elderly loved one at home who had just undergone surgery or who was injured following an accident. This lets you make the necessary proactive measures to stop the infection or mark it as a medical emergency and call the doctor.

Allow us as your partner in health and a home health agency in Texas ourselves to help by listing down signs of wound infection you must not ignore. Here are some of them:

• Warm skin
  Having warm skin around the wound right at the beginning of the healing process is normal as this is when the white blood cells are fighting off germs and bacteria. However, if the skin around the wound continues to be warm after 5 days, this means that it is already your body trying to fight off the infection.
• Purulent drainage
  This is wound drainage that is milky in texture, has a gray, yellow, or green color, and gives off an unpleasant odor.
• Red streaks
  Red streaking around the wound or moving away from it is a sign of lymphangitis, an infection that impacts the body’s lymph system.
• Fever and chills
  A tell-tale sign of infection; this means that the pathogen has entered your bloodstream and has spread throughout your body.

Don’t wait, seek medical help immediately when you notice any of these signs.

Alternatively, you may turn to a home healthcare provider like us at Cristos Health Care Services Inc. for professional wound care at home.

We also offer disease management, infusion therapy, and post-operative care, among other skilled nursing services in Houston, Texas for your convenience. Call us today to know more.