Wound (Skin) Infection: Brief Version

What is a wound infection?

When bacteria gets into a cut or wound, your child may get a skin infection. You may notice your child has:

• Pus or cloudy fluid from the wound
• A pimple or yellow crust on the wound
• A lot of redness around the cut
• A red streak from the wound toward the heart
• A large, tender lymph node in the area
• A fever

How can I take care of my child?

• Give antibiotics. Your child needs the medicine prescribed by your doctor.
• Soak the wound in warm water. This cleans it out and helps it heal. Make a warm saltwater bath. Put in 2 teaspoons of table salt for each quart of water. Soak your child’s cut in the water for 20 minutes 3 times a day. You can also use a wash cloth soaked in the salt water on the cut. Put on a clean bandage after each soak.

  If the wound has stitches, keep it dry for the first 24 hours. Wash once a day with soap and water, but do not soak the wound until the stitches are taken out.

• Use heat. If your child’s wound is closed, put a heating pad or warm, wet washcloth on the red area. Do this for 20 minutes 3 times a day.
• Give fever and pain medicine. Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) if there is pain or fever. No aspirin.

Call your child’s doctor right away if:

• The redness from the wound spreads.
• The wound gets very painful.
• Your child starts to act very sick.

Call your child’s doctor during office hours if:

• Your child’s fever is not gone after 48 hours on the medicine.
• The wound does not look better after 3 days on the medicine.
• The wound isn’t fully healed in 10 days.
• You have other questions or concerns.