Which sign indicates wound infection to monitor at home?

• A. Increase in drainage with odor
• B. Wound becomes smaller with no drainage
• C. Wound color unchanged
• D. No fever

Answer: (A)

When monitoring a wound at home, the key idea is to watch for changes in drainage and the wound environment that signal infection. An increase in drainage accompanied by a foul odor is the strongest indicator of infection because bacteria in the wound produce more fluid and emit malodorous compounds as they grow and inflammation escalates. This flag suggests the wound is not just healing but potentially infected and may need medical evaluation. In contrast, a wound that is healing would typically show decreasing drainage and no odor. If the wound color remains unchanged, that alone doesn’t confirm infection. Fever isn’t a reliable solo sign—it's possible to have a localized wound infection without fever, so the absence of fever doesn’t rule out infection.