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What happens when a surgery wound gets infected?
Surgery that involves a cut (incision) in the skin can lead to a wound infection after surgery. Most surgical wound infections show up within the first 30 days after surgery. Surgical wound infections may have pus draining from them and can be red, painful or hot to touch. You might have a fever and feel sick.
What is a consequence of infection in a wound?
A wound infection occurs when germs, such as bacteria, grow within the damaged skin of a wound. Symptoms can include increasing pain, swelling, and redness. More severe infections may cause nausea, chills, or fever.
How long after surgery do you have to worry about infection?
A surgical wound infection can develop at any time from 2-3 days after surgery until the wound has visibly healed (usually 2-3 weeks after the operation). Very occasionally, an infection can occur several months after an operation.
Can you sue if you get an infection after surgery?
In many cases of negligence, both the hospital and doctor can be sued for medical malpractice. If you suffer a surgical infection following a procedure, there may be any number of causes. Your body may simply have reacted poorly to the surgery and an infection may follow.
What does sepsis look like?
People with sepsis often develop a hemorrhagic rash—a cluster of tiny blood spots that look like pinpricks in the skin. If untreated, these gradually get bigger and begin to look like fresh bruises. These bruises then join together to form larger areas of purple skin damage and discoloration.
How do you know if a infection is serious?
If you develop a fever, numbness to the injured area, or notice a red line forming from the injury to the heart, seek urgent or emergency medical care immediately, as these are signs of a serious or spreading infection.
How do you know when an infection is serious?
If you notice any of these signs of infection, call your doctor right away:
- redness around the cut.
- red streaking spreading from the cut.
- increased swelling or pain around the cut.
- white, yellow, or green liquid coming from the cut.
- fever.