Pus is the dead cells of our immune system. Often the basis of pus is the so-called white blood cells. These are the white blood cells of the immune system involved in the cellular response when bacteria, fungi, protozoa enter our body. White blood cells "absorb" a foreign body, after which they die themselves, the final cleavage product, pus, is released.
Purulent wounds
Pus is not only dead cells, but also an alarm that an unfavorable inflammatory process is taking place in the body that requires urgent treatment. Most often, such wounds are formed due to the penetration of bacteria into the thickness of the skin, so even after a minor puncture with a needle on the palm, finger, forearm, the place should be treated with at least ethyl alcohol.
When an immune response is formed with the participation of white blood cells, healthy tissues are also affected. Blood begins to flow to the site of inflammation, and accordingly, the edges of the wound will be hyperemic, swollen, painful to the touch. Total tissue necrosis will be observed in the phase of advanced inflammation, when a person did not seek any medical help, did not take measures to treat the wound. Pus comes out through the channel through which the foreign agents hit, along with the decay products.
Causes of purulent inflammation
Modern doctors consider any wound conditionally infected. That is why the number of neglected necrotic inflammations decreased. However, doctors can not eliminate the factors contributing to the development of aseptic inflammation, namely:
- the concentration of pathogenic microorganisms;
- weakened immunity;
- sufficient injured area.
It is these reasons that are leading in that pus forms in the wound. These are far from all the causes of the development of an acute inflammatory process, they include systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, liver diseases, and thyroid dysfunction.
Symptoms of purulent inflammation
It is worth noting that the acute phase does not develop immediately. Pus is a product of the final decay, therefore, a certain period of time is spent on its formation, during which the symptoms increase. Namely:
- persistent increase in body temperature;
- growing weakness and headache;
- the edges at the wound site begin to turn red, acquiring swelling;
- local shooting pain, prone to irradiation to adjacent anatomical areas (if the focus is located next to the nerves).
As symptoms increase, pus comes from the wound, the color of which depends on the pathogen. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is characterized by a classic yellow color, but for anaerobes, such as tetanus, gas or dry gangrene, it is brown with a specific smell.
What can be the complications?
If you do not treat a purulent wound, the inflammatory process will spread deeper and deeper, affecting healthy tissues, disrupting the functions of adjacent organs. All purulent foci are delayed by secondary intention, which means that the formation of a scar and a cosmetic defect in most cases is guaranteed.
Remote complications include:
- lymphadenitis;
- thrombophlebitis;
- purulent abscess;
- phlegmon;
- meningitis;
- blood poisoning (sepsis).
The severity of complications depends on the location of the purulent focus. The most dangerous are neck injuries, when the inflammatory process can spread deep into the fascia, and from there go into the bloodstream, rushing straight to the brain.
Treatment
The sooner a person goes to the doctor, the less he will have to be in the hospital. All purulent wounds are treated operatively. The surgeon opens the purulent focus and rinses it with antiseptic solutions, removes non-viable tissue, removes drainage.
If the wound is small or the incision is impractical, then it can be treated conservatively. Special ointments are prescribed: ichthyol, Levomikol, Vishnevsky. They are able to "suck" purulent contents from the wound. It is strictly forbidden to remove pus from a wound in a child, since the process will only worsen.
For prevention, even with minor injuries should provide first aid. It would be nice to have hydrogen peroxide, ethyl alcohol, an alcohol solution of iodine and a green diamond in a medicine cabinet. These antiseptics are affordable for absolutely everyone. And it is better to treat a small wound with alcohol than to then seek medical attention from a surgeon.