reddening, swelling, overheating and pain.

To be more precise, the typical appearance of a wound infection is as follows:

• the wound margins become thick;
• the immediate area around the wound gradually turns red and becomes inflamed;
• yellow, purulent coatings and secretions form on the wound;
• pressure on the wound becomes increasingly painful;
• fever and shivering sometimes occur.

Wound infection can remain limited to the site of injury. It can, however, also spread in connective tissue or within the lymphatic vessels.

When an inflammatory reaction takes place in the lymphatic vessels, a red stripe develops near the wound. This can extend on the arm to the armpit and on the leg as far as the groin area. In the vernacular, this infection is mistakenly called blood poisoning. The correct name for this is, however, lymphangitis, i.e. inflammation of one or several lymphatic vessels following the penetration of pathogens into the lymphatic capillaries. This clinical picture can be controlled well by medical treatment.
As soon as an injury occurs, great store should be set on the right wound treatment. Correctly treating a wound can prevent infection.

Whenever you are not sure what to do, you should ask your physician for advice.