Recognising and treating a wound infection
Machine translation from Dutch, not yet checked by a clinician.
An infected wound needs quick action. Recognising the signs is crucial when medical care is limited.
What to do
• Clean the wound thoroughly again with clean water
• Carefully remove scabs covering pus so the infection can drain
• Apply a clean dressing and change it daily
• Check daily for spreading redness or fever
• Rest the affected body part as much as possible
Do not do
• Do not squeeze the wound to remove pus
• Do not seal an infected wound airtight
Warning signs
• Red streaks spreading out from the wound — the infection is spreading
• High fever combined with a wound infection — possible sepsis
• Extreme pain or swelling that increases after treatment
Get help if
• Red streaks are visible — this needs urgent medical care
• Fever above 38.5°C combined with the infection
• The wound does not improve after 48 hours of treatment
Why this matters
Red streaks (lymphangitis) are a sign of spread into the lymph vessels and can lead to sepsis without antibiotic treatment.
Source: Rode Kruis EHBO · reviewed 2025-01-01