Infection Versus Healing
Distinguishing infection from normal healing isn't always an easy task. Sometimes even physicians can have a hard time differentiating between the two processes. However, there are some general guidelines to follow when making this decision.
Progression Is Paramount
One of the most helpful clues in distinguishing infection from healing is the way the appearance of the wound is changing. If redness is present, but its area of involvement and intensity is diminishing, this usually means that the wound is on its way to a smooth healing. On the other hand, if the redness spreads to a larger area and pain intensifies, the presence of infection becomes more likely.
Alert!
At any time, if you are not sure whether the wound is looking better, do not hesitate to contact your doctor for an appointment. Sometimes it is very difficult to tell whether a wound is getting infected, and a doctor might consider performing additional laboratory tests to help make the distinction.
This is the rationale behind the practice some doctors use of taking a pen and drawing a line along the boundary of redness during the examination of a wound. This way, when the wound is checked again on the following day, it is easier to tell whether the area of redness is shrinking or growing.
Dirty Little Secret
The way the injury occurred is an important consideration when judging whether a wound is infected. For an injury that was incurred by a dirty object (such as a knee scraped on a sharp rock), physicians worry a lot more about the increased risk of infection than for a relatively clean wound (such as a cut from a brand-new razor). If the risk of bacterial contamination is high, some doctors elect to start the child on antibiotics even before signs of infection appear. This is especially true if the edge of the wound is jagged. A smooth and straight cut is a lot easier for the body to repair than a crooked cut.
