Surgical Wound Infection

What is a surgical wound infection?

Our surroundings contain a lot of micro organisms or germs. These in turn are present on our skin as well. Most of these germs or micro organisms are harmless, some are good for us and then there are those that can cause harm to our bodies. It is our skin that creates a protective barrier against these germs and protects us from the germs that can cause harm to us.

An infection in a surgical wound occurs when these harmful germs find their way into the cut (incision) made in the skin through which surgery is performed by a doctor.

- How common are surgical wound infections and when do they develop?

Development of an infection in your surgical wound can happen at any time between two to three days of the surgery till the wound has healed (this usually takes two to three weeks to heal, post operation). Also however rare, it is also possible that an infection can occur a few months after the operation

Infections of the surgical wound are not very common and are usually limited to being on the skin. These can however, also spread to deeper tissues. Surgical wound infections more commonly develop on and around areas where germs are abundantly found, such as the gut or the groin.

The care giver that is responsible to change a patients wound dressing will always check for an infection. A patient should let this person know if they feel that an infection is developing.

One should not at all try and remove the dressing over the wound or touch the wound etc. doing this could unwittingly transfer germs from the patient’s fingers to the wound.

Once the patient leaves the hospital, the following symptoms may be indicative of an infection developing in the surgical wound.

- The surgical wound becomes red or sore or it feels hot and swollen.
- The wound gives away a colored discharge or pus.
- The patient generally feels unwell or feverish

If these symptoms are evident, the patient should immediately inform their doctor who will decide the further course of action.

- What if one develops a surgical wound infection?

Upon suspicion that a patient has developed a surgical wound infection a doctor or nurse may obtain a sample from the surface of the surgical wound, using a swab. This sample will then be tested in a laboratory. Once it is confirmed that an infection has actually infiltrated the wound, the doctor will then prescribe the appropriate treatment, which might include antibiotics.

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