Name three early indicators of wound infection that nursing staff should monitor.

Name three early indicators of wound infection that nursing staff should monitor.

• A. Increased wound pain, purulent or foul-smelling drainage, and surrounding warmth/redness.
• B. Decreased wound pain, clear serous drainage, and cool skin around wound.
• C. Increased wound moisture, rapid epithelialization, and absence of redness.
• D. Decreased warmth, no drainage, stable color.

Answer: (A)

Early wound infection is signaled by the body’s inflammatory response around the wound showing itself through three key cues: rising pain at the wound site, drainage that becomes purulent (thick, possibly yellow-green) and may have a foul odor, and warmth with surrounding redness. Increased pain indicates that bacteria are triggering inflammation and nerve sensitivity. Purulent drainage reflects bacterial activity rather than normal healing, and foul odor reinforces that an infection may be present. Warmth and redness around the wound show increased blood flow and edema from the inflammatory process. The other options describe healing traits or non-infected states, not infection signals. So the combination of more pain, purulent or foul-smelling drainage, and surrounding warmth/redness best points to an infection that nursing staff should monitor early.

Early wound infection is signaled by the body’s inflammatory response around the wound showing itself through three key cues: rising pain at the wound site, drainage that becomes purulent (thick, possibly yellow-green) and may have a foul odor, and warmth with surrounding redness. Increased pain indicates that bacteria are triggering inflammation and nerve sensitivity. Purulent drainage reflects bacterial activity rather than normal healing, and foul odor reinforces that an infection may be present. Warmth and redness around the wound show increased blood flow and edema from the inflammatory process. The other options describe healing traits or non-infected states, not infection signals. So the combination of more pain, purulent or foul-smelling drainage, and surrounding warmth/redness best points to an infection that nursing staff should monitor early.