Treatment of purulent wounds on the legs. Medications. Folk remedies

Various damages to the skin are called wounds. Most often they are not dangerous and are treated at home. But sometimes even a little skin damage leads to inflammation. Often, suppuration occurs on the hands or feet, especially in the warm season. Inflammation of various skin lesions may be due to non-compliance with hygiene, reduced immunity or the presence of chronic diseases. In some cases, self- treatment of purulent wounds on the legs does not help, and it is necessary to conduct it in the hospital. It is very important to notice the appearance of pus in time and use the drugs necessary for its removal. If this is not done, inflammation can lead to the development of various complications.

What is a purulent wound?

This is skin damage, accompanied by the development of pathogenic microorganisms in it. In the wound begins to form pus, around it there is swelling and redness. Fabrics are painful and often hot to the touch. Dull, throbbing pain, often severe, is felt. In severe cases, general symptoms are associated with local symptoms: fever, intoxication, headache.

Causes of purulent wounds

Inflammatory process can develop due to infection of the received wound. This is due to infection in the wound. Very often this happens in the summer, especially if the skin on the legs is damaged. The appearance of a purulent process can also occur after surgery. Therefore, it is recommended to do operations in the cold season and to observe sterility in the care of the patient. Such purulent wounds are called secondary. But there are also primary wounds. They are characterized by rupturing an internal abscess without external skin damage. It can be an abscess, a phlegmon or an ordinary boil. Such wounds are treated mainly by surgical opening and antibiotics. The appearance of a purulent process is influenced by the age and state of the patient's immunity, the presence of chronic diseases, especially diabetes, in which the suppuration often develops. More often in the elderly, full and weakened by illnesses there are purulent wounds. Treatment at home will be difficult in this case.

Phases of development of wound process

Features of treatment of a purulent wound depend on the stage of its healing. Most often, two phases of the wound process are distinguished:

- at the first stage, it is necessary to eliminate edema, remove dead tissue, and also to eliminate hemorrhage and the focus of inflammation;

- at the second stage, tissue regeneration and scar formation take place. Healing of purulent wounds at this time can be accelerated by the use of special preparations. Modern medicines help regenerate tissues faster without forming a highly visible scar.

Purulent wound - treatment

Ointments for rapid healing are now available to everyone. Therefore, treatment can take place at home. But if you can not cope with inflammation in time, serious complications may appear. Correct treatment of purulent wounds on the legs includes several directions:

- wound treatment - removal of pus, mud and dead skin;

- removal of inflammation, swelling and soreness of the skin;

- fight against bacteria;

- acceleration of wound healing and stimulation of tissue scarring;

- general treatment aimed at increasing immunity and fighting intoxication. It consists in taking immunomodulating and vitamin preparations.

In severe cases, treatment of purulent wounds on the legs may require surgical intervention: opening and clearing the focus of inflammation, and sometimes amputation.

How to handle the wound correctly?

For more rapid healing and prevention of complications, proper care of the affected area of the skin is very important. In light cases, you can do it yourself. Treatment of purulent wounds is carried out 1-2 times a day and includes:

- Thorough disinfection of the hands and tools used for this is most often done with alcohol.

- Removal of the old bandage. And it should be done very carefully, and when the bandage dries it needs to be soaked with "chlorhexidine" or hydrogen peroxide.

- Careful removal of pus from the inside of the wound, treatment of its edges with antiseptic in the direction from it to the edges and draining with a sterile swab. Sometimes it is recommended to grease the edges of the wound with green or iodine.

- Applying a medicine or a tissue moistened with it. In case the wound is very deep, tampons or drainage are injected into it for a better outflow of pus.

- Closure of the wound with sterile gauze in several layers and fixing it with adhesive plaster or bandage. It should be ensured that the wound has air access, otherwise an anaerobic infection may develop.

In the severe condition of the patient, open purulent wounds are treated 3-4 times a day, each time leaving them in the air for 20-30 minutes.

Physical methods of treatment

Previously, an open method of healing purulent wounds was practiced. It was believed that by the action of air and sunlight, microorganisms die faster. In recent years, abandoned this, and the wound is always impose a bandage. Of the physical methods of treatment are now used quartz, ultrasonic cavitation, UHF and laser irradiation.

Antibiotics for Purulent Wounds

In severe cases, antibacterial drugs are used to prevent the development of a common blood infection and more rapid release of the wound from infection . If their use is required at the first stage, when the pathogen is not yet known, antibiotics of a wide spectrum of action are prescribed . They can be used in the form of tablets, injections and local solutions or ointments. Prescribe an antibacterial drug should only be a doctor, after taking the analysis for the causative agent of the infection. After all, the inflammatory process can cause not only common staphylococcus or streptococci, but also xibella, proteus, E. coli and even shigella and salmonella. Most often, sulfonamide antibiotics are used in purulent wounds, the emulsion of streptocid and sulphidine is externally applied. The most famous antibacterial drug is penicillin.

External means for the removal of inflammation

At the first stage of development of the purulent process, it is recommended to use the means and ointments on a water-soluble basis, it is better if they contain antibiotics. Most often used are "Levomekol", "Levosin" and others. Treatment of purulent wounds on the legs can be complicated by the fact that the inflammation is caused by many microorganisms, often even the fungus joins. Therefore, it is expedient to use complex means, for example, "Iruksola". To treat the wound, antiseptic solutions are often used. The most famous of them - "Furacilin", hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate are sometimes ineffective because of the emergence of resistant to their action of microorganisms. Now new drugs are being produced: Dioxydin, Yodopirone, Sodium Hydrochloride and others.

Folk remedies

Healing of purulent wounds at the stage of regeneration can be accelerated by various herbs and other home remedies. They are used both for the treatment of the affected surface and for strengthening immunity. The most common are non-serious purulent wounds. Treatment at home is possible if the focus of inflammation is small and there is no general intoxication. Often folk remedies are also used in medical institutions, due to the fact that many bacteria have developed resistance to lekartvennym drugs, in addition, they are safer. But their application is permissible only in light cases, with a small area of damage. What can be treated with a wound?

- The alcoholic tincture of Sophora of Japanese or Calendula is most often used.

- Treat the wound with fresh juice of aloe, leaves of plantain or burdock.

- For lotions, you can use gruel from grated carrots, radishes, beets or a cut onion.

- It is recommended to wash the wounds with infusion of the vinca, the roots of the aura, the leaves of eucalyptus or the decoction of marigold.

- You can prepare an ointment for healing purulent wounds: powder from the grass, purify caustic with vaseline or honey with lard and xerophy. Well cleanses the wound from the pus mixture of goat fat, salt and grated onions.

To improve the regeneration of tissues in the process of wound healing, fish oil and sea buckthorn oil are used.

Complications from purulent wounds

If you do not start on time treatment or improperly handle the affected area, complications can develop, or the purulent process becomes chronic. What are the dangerous purulent wounds?

- Lymphangitis or lymphadenitis may develop, that is inflammation of the lymph nodes.

- Sometimes there is thrombophlebitis, especially with purulent wounds on the legs.

- Pus can spread and cause periostitis, osteomelitis, abscess or phlegmon.

- In the most severe cases, sepsis develops, which can result in a fatal outcome.

Prevention of inflammation

To prevent the emergence of purulent wounds, you need to carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene, especially if the skin is damaged. If time to handle small abrasions and scratches, you can protect them from infection. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system so that the body can independently fight with bacteria that have got under the skin.