
It is not as normal to see this type of drainage during other stages of healing, and may indicate the wound has undergone additional trauma. It is perfectly normal to see small amounts of bloody leakage during the inflammatory stage of a wound.
Serosanguinous fluid after surgery full#
Sanguineous drainage is fresh blood that commonly leaks from deep wounds of full or partial thickness. This type of wound drainage requires special attention and medical care. If your infection worsens, the amount of purulent drainage increases. The reason that purulent drainage is off-color and thick relates to pathogenic microorganisms and dying bacteria, as well as inflammatory and white cells invading the infected area.

This type of drainage often indicates infection of the wound. Purulent can be shades of green, yellow or gray, and tend to be rather thick in consistency but can also be thin. You may be experiencing purulent drainage if liquids draining from your wound are a milky texture. If you notice an overwhelming amount of serous drainage, it may indicate high bioburden, or the presence of unsterilized bacteria living on the wound. When your wound is fresh and going through the inflammatory wound healing stages, it’s perfectly normal to experience this type of drainage. Serous DrainageĪ thin, watery and clear substance exiting the wound is classified as serous drainage. It’s important to be able to identify different types of drainage in order to best care for your wounds and discuss possible treatment options with your doctor. The actual appearance of drainage will indicate if the wound is healing normally or if it requires further medical attention. Drainage can be a sign of infection, but not always. Drainage is normal during the inflammatory stages of a wound, but becomes more cause for concern as the wound enters other stages of the healing process.

Wound drainage may be caused by surgery, injury or anything that results in an open wound. The type and amount of drainage are key indicators of wound severity, as well as if your wound is infected or in the healing process.

Drainage varies in color, texture and severity. Purulent, sanguineous, serosanguineous and serous are 4 different types of wound drainage that consist of a combination of pus, blood and other fluids. All types of open wounds come with some level of drainage, also known as exudate.
