Wound Infection

Wound Infection






Many times surgical wounds require more time to heal than our expectation. It is due to the infection caused by bacteria or virus on the wound which delays the healing of wound. Wound infection may also occur when our body’s immunity get tampered for some reasons. Surgical wound infection is common and almost 7 out of 10 patients die during post-operative stage because of wound infection.

Causes :

Wound infection is caused primarily by micro-organisms like bacteria. They invade the wound originating from your skin or other parts of the body. Our body contains good bacteria that are harmless due to the protective skin layer that prevents the entry of bacteria. However when the skin is injured during surgery or wound it gives room for the bacteria to invade the inner organs. The formation of wound increases the chance of removal of protective barrier from the skin thus facilitating bacterial infection.

Bacteria would then colonize the injured area slowly causing more damage to the tissues causing inflammation. Bacteria belonging to the group of Staphylococcus commonly cause wound infection.

In some cases, contamination of surgical wounds and improper care of wound dressing may cause wound infection.

Symptoms :

Wound infection is characterized by redness, pain, swelling or inflammation, and pus like discharge from the wound. It delays the normal healing process thus widening the time of healing. For some people there will be bad odor due to pus discharge from the wound area.

Diagnoses :

Your doctor will look for the signs of infection. He may order for routine blood tests, imaging tests like CT scan or MRI. In severe cases, biopsy of the wound is taken for diagnosing the infection precisely.

Who are at risk ?

Old aged people, diabetic people and persons with immune deficiency are prone to wound infection. Non healing wound can cause increased pain due to inflammation and redness. Further it can affect the neighboring tissues forming chronic bacterial infection.

Pictures of Wound Infection :

Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Wound Infection

Treatment :

Whenever there is a wound you need to take proper care till it is completely healed. Wound will not heal properly if the environment is moist. Hence you need to change the dressings daily and keep the wound well protected from moist and infection causing sites. Wash the hands thoroughly before and after dressing the wounds for preventing further infection.

Treatment of wound infection depends on the site of injury and intensity of damage caused to the tissues. Soap water can be gently used for cleaning the wound. Your doctor may use sterilized water for cleaning it and removing the dirt particles and dead tissues inside. He would then place wet bandage on the site of injury to allow it to dry.

Antibiotics are given to manage the infection. You can also take NSAID drugs for controlling swelling and pain. Do not discontinue taking antibiotics which can certainly increase the risk of getting wound infection. You need to follow the instructions of your doctor for completing the course of antibiotics either orally or topical creams.

The wound infection can take more time for healing if the patient is diabetic or suffering from any immune disorder. Presence of any dead tissues inside the wound will squarely increase the risk of wound infection. Repeated injury or trauma on the same site will delay the healing process.

Wound Infection – Symptoms, Treatment, Pictures, Care Plan, Causes

Wound Infection – Symptoms, Treatment, Pictures, Care Plan, Causes

Wound Infection Symptoms

The classic signs of wound infection include:

• Erythema that is localised


• Pain that is localised


• Cellulitis


• OEdema


• High or Low Body Temperature


• Reduced Blood Pressure


• Increased heart beat


• Increased purulent discharge (blood or other fluid) or pus coming out of the wound


• Increased swelling that is persistent and goes past the wound area


• Red, painful, warm swollen areas


• Delayed healing of wounds upon treatment


• Old wounds that bleed easily


• Painful wounds although they appear mild

Wound Infection Causes

Majority of micro-organisms can only be observed microscopically due to their minute sizes. Ways in which micro-organisms can gain access to a wound:

• Direct contact which involves the transfer of pathogenic microorganisms from equipment or the hands of carers


• Airborne dispersal where micro-organisms are deposited from the surrounding air


• Self-contamination which involves physical migration from the patient’s skin or gastrointestinal tract

Bacteria: Bacteria associated with wound infections include

Gram-positive cocci:

• Streptococcus pyogenes which is a pus forming Beta Haemolytic Streptococcci


• Enterococci for instance Enterococcus faecalis


• Staphylococci for instance Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

The intensity of infection ranges in severity from simple wound colonisation that does not require aggressive treatment to systemic infection such as bronchoPneumonia that is more often than not, fatal. A wound infected with MRSA is difficult to manage using antibiotics.

Gram negative aerobic rods e.g Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Gram negative facultative rods such as:

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• Enterobacter species


• Escherichia coli


• Klebsiella species


• Proteus species

Anaerobic bacteria which include:

• Bacteroides species


• Clostridium species

Fungi
These are composed of large complicated single celled or multi-cellular organisms. Fungi are responsible for superficial infections of the skin, nails and hair and they have been isolated from wounds although they are rarely pathogenic. They include:

• Yeasts such as Candida species


• Aspergillus

Protozoa
These are single celled organisms within a fragile membrane but lack a cell wall. They have been significantly associated with infected Skin Ulcers.

Viruses
These comprise nucleic acid enclosed within a protein coat. Viruses do not cause wound infections per se, but bacterial infection of the skin may occur during the course of some viral diseases.

Wound Infection Treatment

Treatment depends on the severity of the wound infection is, its location, and whether the infection has spread to other areas. It may also depend on the length of time one has had the infection. The following measures need to be taken:

Care Plan

• Wound cleansing may be done by rinsing the wound with sterile water. Disinfectants may also be used to clean the wound.


• Wound debridement is done to clean and remove dirt, or dead skin and tissues from the area around the wound. The damaged areas in or around the wound may be cut out by caregivers and then bandages placed inside the wound and left to dry.

Medications
Antibiotic medicine may be administered to fight infection. Penicillin G and Metronidazole are the common antibiotics used for wound treatment. Medication to reduce pain, swelling, or fever may also be administered.

Other treatments
Medications to control or treat medical conditions that may slow down the wound healing process are also recommended. Regular uptake of medicines to control diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure is advised. In case of blood vessel problems, surgery may be done to increase blood flow.

Changes in lifestyle
The patient may be given supplements or a special diet suggested so as to hasten the healing process. Fruit uptake is also recommended for instance Vitamin C, found in oranges and other foods, helps wounds heal. In case a patient smokes cigarettes, they may be forced to quit since this slows down the wound healing ability or process.

Factors affecting healing of wound infections:

• Diseases for instance diabetes, cancer, or liver, kidney or lung conditions are known to slow down wound healing process.


• Presence of foreign objects such as glass or metal, stuck in the wound and dead tissue may delay wound healing.


• Poor blood supply or low oxygen as a result of high blood pressure or narrowed blood vessels. This may be a common problem in smokers and people with blood vessel problems or heart disorders.


• Repeated trauma since constant pressure on wounds may increase the risk of having a wound infection, and subsequently delay healing.


• Surgery since infection of cuts made during invasive procedures like surgery, also called surgical site infection (SSI), are imminent.

Wound Infection Pictures