At any stage in life, wounds are unfortunate, but infections are worse. In long-term care facilities such as the Brooklyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, we deal with wounds of a slightly different nature, and we have to be especially aware of the signs and symptoms of infection once a wound has occurred. Decreased skin thickness and elasticity, decreased suppleness, longer healing times, and reduced bodily immunity all mean that open wounds appear more often and last longer. This, of course, increases the opportunity for infection.
Elderly patients and patients with compromised mobility suffer more often from wounds related to constant pressure and infrequent changes of position. Because these wounds often appear at points in which the body is frequently in contact with another surface, they can be difficult to prevent until they’ve broken the skin and begun to cause discomfort. Once the body’s protective layer of the epidermis has been broken, there is an increased likelihood of infection. Subsequently, the more time that passes before a wound is sterilized and treated, the higher the risk of infection becomes.
Every open wound should be examined for signs of infection upon discovery. It is important to recognize the beginning of an infect as soon as possible in order to limit the amount of time that infection has to spread through the body, especially in more vulnerable patients such as the elderly. Below are a few common signs for which you can watch in order to stop possible infections at their earliest stages:
- Blistered sores
- Red skin around the site of the injury
- Elevated body temperature either in general or at the site of the wound
- A red streak under the skin that runs toward the heart
- An increase in either pain or swelling days after the injury has occurred
- Excessive pus/seepage or a yellowish crust on top of the wound
