Children are energetic, curious and adventurous. Unfortunately, this combination can make children prone to accidents. Avoiding injuries altogether is unfeasible, if not impossible — especially if your child is especially rambunctious. Though many wounds are minor and should heal quickly — such as bruises, light scratches and scrapes — even a small dirty wound can become infected within 24-72 hours without proper care and cleaning.
Before you call the ambulance, however, know that all wounds have the potential to look more severe than they are, especially on a child. It can often be hard to distinguish between a healing injury and an infected injury. The key is to recognize the signs of infection and to seek proper treatment.
While parental medical care at home may be all well and good, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your children’s health. A good rule of thumb is to seek a healthcare provider if you believe you have reason to be worried.
If you’re unable to meet with your primary care physician in time, it could be a good reason to go to urgent care. An urgent care facility may also have access to resources like X-ray machines, which would likely take a referral and more time to schedule through your primary care doctor. When it comes to injuries, time and knowledge can mean the difference between a healthy healing process and an infection.
Signs of infection
Throughout the healing process, you must be familiar with different troubling signs — no matter the severity and size of the injury. These symptoms can be good indications that a wound is infected rather than just healing.
Redness, swelling, or heat over the area
In the initial stages of the healing process, the area surrounding a wound is typically warm, red and swollen. This is typically a result of white blood cells fighting off infection and bacteria from the initial wound. However, if this appearance stays the same or worsens after around five days, this can indicate that these same cells are fighting an infection. In these situations, it’s a good idea to seek medical attention.
To help monitor a wound, use a pen to outline the redness surrounding the wound. If the redness expands beyond the pen outline, you can surmise the wound has worsened. In this case, it’s best to seek your doctor’s attention immediately.
Pus in or around the wound
If a wound drains and the fluid contains a cloudy, foul-smelling discharge, that could be pus. Pus is a natural reaction the body uses to respond to infection, and as such, it often accompanies infected wounds.
Bad smell
A foul smell coming from a wound could be a result of pus as well as decaying tissue. This is a sign the wound isn’t healing properly and should receive medical attention.
Fever
A fever is a common sign that the body is fighting off an infection, however, it isn’t a guarantee that all is well. If a fever accompanies a wound, the infection may be causing the fever. A healthcare provider can diagnose the cause of the fever and inspect the wound to see if it is infected.
The wound is not healing
If the wound does not appear to be healing in an expected fashion, it could be infected. Keep a lookout for typical signs of a healing wound like scabbing. A healing wound may also be accompanied by slight swelling and itchiness, however, if these symptoms continue for longer than five days, it could be a sign of infection.
More pain
As a wound heals, the pain associated with it typically goes away. If it continues to be painful, particularly if the pain is not congruent to the size or severity of the wound, it could be a sign of infection. If the pain worsens, seek professional medical attention immediately.
Swollen lymph node
Lymph nodes are part of the body’s lymphatic system that fights off infections and other illnesses. While they are located in many places throughout the body, the ones in the neck, just beneath the jaw, may swell from time to time — especially if the body is fighting a virus or an infection. If these nodes here are swollen or feel painful to the touch, they could be a sign of the body fighting off an infection.
Common causes of infection
You should also be more vigilant against infection for certain injuries, as some are more prone to infection than others. In following cases, it’s important to carefully monitor the injury, and seek medical help as soon as possible.
Burns
Wounds from burns have the potential to cause several health issues. One of the most potentially problematic is the capacity of intense burns to cause immunosuppression that can result in an increased chance of infection. A suppressed immune system can result in the wound becoming infected with sepsis or other dangerous infection.
- First-degree burns: These burns are typically minor, surface-level wounds. They affect only the outer layer of the skin, and usually only result in discoloration. They should be monitored closely for signs of infection.
- Second-degree burns: A second-degree burn is more severe, and affects the outer and second layer of skin. Any burn blisters should be treated with cool water to help reduce swelling and pain. If a second-degree burn covers an area more than three inches in diameter, shows signs of infection or affects body function, medical help should be pursued.
- Third-degree burns: These burns destroy the outer and inner layers of skin. Symptoms can differ by the severity of the burn, and due to damage to nerves, they may not even be accompanied by pain. Without medical assistance, these burns are slow to heal, and may not heal fully or properly. Some may even require the care of a special burn unit.
Second-degree burns and above should be cause for an immediate visit to a doctor or urgent care clinic.
Deep puncture wounds
A wound caused by a puncture poses additional infection risks due to the nature of the injury. The object that caused the puncture — whether it is an animal tooth, a metal nail or some other sharp object — has the potential to deposit contaminants deep within the wound. This makes traditional first-aid methods of wound cleaning potentially less effective.
If an animal bite or a dirty or rusty object is the source of the puncture, and the wounded child has not had a recent tetanus shot, you have more than enough reasons to seek professional care immediately.
Bites
Although bites can cause puncture wounds, do not discredit them if they cause different types of injuries. Bites represent a common source of injury, particularly among children. Even dog bites affect a vast number of people in the United States alone. On an annual basis, around 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs. This doesn’t even include other domestic pets, insect bites or other wild animals.
No matter the animal, however, bites have a high potential of becoming infected due to the presence of bacteria in the mouth. Because of the specific danger of animal bites, it’s important to teach children animal safety and how to avoid animal bites.
If the animal was venomous, it’s even more essential to seek emergency care. However, sometimes it can be hard to tell if an animal was venomous, particularly if it was a snake or a spider. In these cases, be aware of additional symptoms such as swelling around the bite, nausea and muscle twitching.
Infection prevention
Though an injury will still get infected, no matter how well you treat it, you can increase the chances of a healthy healing process with the following prevention tips:
- Wash hands: Before treating or inspecting a wound, ensure that your hands are clean and any tools used have been sanitized.
- Wash injuries with warm water: Warm, soapy water can be used to clean an injury, but be careful to flush the soap from the wound and not scrub.
- Use antiseptic ointment: This ointment can not only help prevent infection, but certain kinds of ointment also include pain-relieving properties as well.
- Keep the wound dry: Let the wound and the skin surrounding it dry before applying a bandage.
- Rotate out bandages or gauze: Change bandages and gauze when they get wet or dirty. Otherwise, change it once a day to reduce contamination.
These measures may not be foolproof in terms of preventing infection, but they are good habits to practice to promote a speedy healing process.
When is an infection an emergency?
While not every infection is necessarily an emergency, prescribed antibiotics are necessary to heal most infections. As soon as you suspect an injury may be infected, it’s a good idea to seek medical care to seek out these antibiotics and other care needed.
Untreated infections can lead to more severe conditions like blood poisoning and organ failure. A guideline for ensuring injuries is seeking medical assistance for a wound that shows no signs of healing, particularly after a few days.
In these situations, hours can matter. It may not be viable to wait for a primary physician to schedule an appointment. Providers at your nearest urgent care center are able to provide more rapid treatment and potentially help with diagnosis and care plans that you can later follow-up with your primary care provider to manage in the longer term.
Signs you should seek a doctor immediately
Although some signs of infection may not require immediate care, others should be addressed immediately. These include signs of advanced infection, as well as other troubling symptoms. Be sure to inspect a wound carefully for signs that a wound is not likely to heal on its own and needs a doctor’s intervention.
Red streak coming from the wound
Sometimes indicated by a red streak, sepsis is a life-threatening illness that can result in organ failure and death. This red streak is known as lymphangitis and extends from the wound and toward areas of the body where many lymph nodes are located. Along with the red steak, watch out for additional symptoms such as pain, swelling and warmth. In more urgent cases, your child may have a headache, fever, chills and a rapid heart rate.
Spreading redness
A wound may also be surrounded by redness that spreads. Rather than travel in a streak, this redness will seem to radiate out from the wound. Although a degree of redness can be normal to any wound, if it continues to spread after the fact and is accompanied by inordinate levels of pain, it could be a sign of infection.
Bleeding won’t stop
If, after about five minutes of pressure, a wound doesn’t stop bleeding, then it likely needs medical assistance to heal properly. Beyond the dangers of blood loss, an open wound continues to pose the risk of becoming contaminated by bacteria and germs, leading to potential infection. In these cases, continue to apply pressure until help arrives.
Unable to clean properly or remove a foreign object
Sometimes, the nature of a wound makes it impractical to clean using soap and water. For example, if an object or debris is stuck inside the wound, it may not be possible to clean it on your own without making the situation worse.
A wound will require stitches or glue
If a wound is too deep or large to heal without stitches or some other wound-closing agent like glue, then it is best to leave the application of these measures to professionals. If applied incorrectly, these measures can result in lasting damage, like further contamination of the wound or the inability to heal properly.
An exceptionally long or deep cut
If a cut is more than half an inch long or appears deep, you should have it looked at by a healthcare professional. The larger the wound, the more surface area for bacteria to enter — therefore increasing the likelihood of infection. Deep and long wounds also carry the potential to cause tendon or nerve damage.
Other symptoms that require immediate treatment
Medical help should also be sought immediately if a child’s wound is accompanied by symptoms such as:
- Rapid breathing and heart rate
- Chills or sweating
- Confusion
- Severe pain
These are all symptoms that indicate an injury potentially has contributing factors beyond the immediate wound.
Signs you should contact a doctor within 24 hours
While not immediately life-threatening, there are some situations that should raise some concern. If your child is experiencing any of these issues, it’s a good idea to contact a doctor ASAP.
- Pus or cloudy drainage from the wound: Cloudy fluid draining from a wound, or purulent drainage, is a sign of infection. This fluid can be thick and varies in color — whether it be yellow, green, gray or brown. The consistency and color of the fluid are a result of expelled germ cells and white blood cells — both of which indicate the body is fighting an infection.
- The wound gets more painful: While it may be entirely normal for a wound to feel different during the healing process, excess pain could be a sign of infection. For example, if a wound begins to feel more tender to the touch, it’s a good idea to contact a doctor and get a professional opinion.
- The last tetanus shot was more than five years ago: The effects of a tetanus shot generally last about 10 years. If it has been more than five, it may be a good idea to consult with a doctor.
Understanding the signs and causes of infection can help to prevent and respond appropriately to these injuries if they occur. More than that, though, you’ll ensure that your child stays healthy in the long term and has fun.