The presence of certain clinical findings should alert the clinician to a possible infection of a chronic wound. A patient with one or more of these findings should be carefully evaluated and monitored for progression.
Changes around a chronic wound suggestive of infection:
(1) increase in wound drainage
(2) change in wound drainage color, consistency and/or odor
(3) erythema (rubor)
(4) warmth (calor) around the wound
(5) pain or tenderness (dolor)
(6) induration, swelling and/or edema (tumor)
(7) poor granulation tissue
Systemic changes suggesting infection:
(1) sudden, otherwise unexplained increase in serum glucose levels in a diabetic patient
(2) fever
(3) leukocytosis (neutrophilia with left shift)
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