Wound and Skin Infections
Treatments
The risk of wound infection can be minimized with prompt and proper wound cleansing and treatment. Most wound infections that do occur can be successfully resolved.
Many superficial bacterial infections and viral infections will resolve on their own without treatment. Other bacterial infections may require only a topical antimicrobial, and some cases require incision and drainage. Deeper infections, and those that are persistent, typically require oral antimicrobial therapy. The choice of which antimicrobials to use is based upon the results of wound culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Patients with antibiotic resistant bacteria or with an infection in a location that is difficult for drug therapy to penetrate (such as bone) may require extended treatment and/or treatment with intravenous medications.
Wounds may also require removal of dead tissue (debridement) and/or drainage – sometimes more than once. Topical antimicrobials and debridement are also used for burn treatment. With extensive injuries, grafting and other surgeries may be required.
Types of Wound Infections and MicroorganismsWounds may be grouped according to their cause, the environment in which they occur, their size, and whether they are clean or contaminated. The microorganisms that typically infect wounds and the skin depend on what is present in the environment, the state of the person’s immune system, and the depth of the wound.
