Draining Wounds

Depending upon your health condition you or your loved ones may be faced with a wound during the course of your illness.  The treatment for your wound(s) will be specific to you and what other medical condition(s) you are experiencing.  It is important that you have a basic idea of what to look for in a wound if were to begin producing drainage.  With this knowledge base you will be able to decide if it is something that is a normal part of the healing process or if it is something that should be reported right away to your provider. 

You may wonder, “Well what exactly should I be looking for when I see drainage coming from my wound?”  Drainage is a liquid produced by the body in response to tissue damage.  As healthcare professionals, we want to educate our patient’s that we like their wounds to be moist, but not too moist.  The type of wound drainage you have can tell the story of what is most likely going on in your wound.  Drainage can be classified in the following different ways:

Ø  Sanguineous Drainage

o   This may appear to you as blood that drains from a recent wound. It is characterized by a bright red color.  Generally, it is seen in partial thickness and full thickness wounds.  Sanguineous drainage is not common in wounds after a few hours or days, and if you experience this later it may be indicative of trauma to the wound site. 

Ø  Serous Drainage

o   If you are experiencing drainage that appears thin, clear and slightly thicker than water, it is known as serous drainage.  This drainage is present during the wound healing process.  Most types of wounds excrete some amount of serous drainage, usually making it something you should not have to worry about.  However, if you notice that the there continues to be more and more serous drainage, or it comes at a rate that seems to regularly soak through your bandages, it may indicate a larger issue.  Remember, you should not hesitate to have the wound examined by your provider if this type of drainage seems to be excessive.

Ø  Serosanguineous Drainage

o   This may be observed as watery, thin drainage.  It will appear pale red to pink in color.  The visible pink tinge comes from red blood cells, which means that there was damage done to the capillaries when your bandages were changed.  It is important to avoid damaging these capillaries because they are responsible for the adequate perfusion to the wound area to allow the area to resolve more quickly.  Once again, if you notice an excess of this drainage do not hesitate to contact your provider.

Ø  Seropurulent Drainage

o   This type of drainage is similar to serous drainage in its thickness (slightly thicker than water).  Seropurulent drainage is cloudier in its transparency and can be slightly yellow or tan in appearance.  There could be an odor.  Drainage of this sort usually indicates that the wound has become infected, and it is at this point that you should immediately seek further treatment.  You want to seek treatment as soon as possible to avoid infection that could cause problems in multiple areas of your body.

Ø  Purulent Drainage

o   Patients will describe this drainage as being “milky” in appearance.  Purulent drainage is almost always a sure sign that an infection has developed.  This type of drainage can be green, yellow, brown or white in color with a thick consistency.  Odor may also be noted.  In this case you should seek treatment immediately because most likely an infection has already started and has possibly spread, which could make your treatment that much more complicated.

With this simple background related to types of wound drainage, you should now be able to better distinguish between the types of drainage that are expelled from yours.  If ever you have an inclination that the drainage you see from your wound just isn’t right, you should seek further treatment immediately.  Never hesitate to contact your provider.  Total Home Health has a program that is right for you and the wound treatment that is specific to your personal needs.