wound infection

Introduction

Wounds can be classified as infected when the wound tissue contains >= 10E5 microorganisms per gram of tissue.

Classification

• Infection (Clinical)
  • the presence of bacteria or other microorganisms in sufficient quantity to overwhelm the tissue defenses & produce the inflammatory signs of infection
    • purulent exudate, odor, erythema, warmth, tenderness, edema, pain, fever
  • elevated white cell count
• Local Clinical Infection.
  • clinical infection that is confined to the wound & within a few millimeters of its margins
• Systemic Clinical Infection.
  • clinical infection that extends beyond the margins of the wound.

Clinical manifestations

• clinical signs of infection may not be present, especially in the immunocompromised patient or the patient with a chronic wound

Management

• use Silvadene for wounds with > 1 million CFU/g tissue or any infection with beta-hemolytic Streptococci
• consider topical antibiotic for clean wounds that are not healing after 2-4 weeks of optimal care
• systemic antibiotics for signs of spreading infection, cellulitis, or osteomyelitis
• clindamycin or TMP/SMX 92% effective

More general terms

• infection (infectious disease)

More specific terms

• surgical site infection