In wound management, which statement best reflects initial care to prevent infection?

• A. Redness, warmth, swelling, increased pain, pus, fever; management: cleansing with saline, sterile dressing, avoid squeezing, monitor for systemic signs, tetanus status, refer if signs of infection or delayed healing.
• B. Apply heat to wound.
• C. Squeeze wound to express pus.
• D. Ignore symptoms.

Answer: (C)

Focusing on preventing infection starts with gentle, thorough wound care: cleansing with saline to reduce bacterial load, applying a sterile dressing to protect the area, and avoiding any squeezing or manipulation that can push bacteria in or damage tissue. Also important is monitoring for signs of infection and checking tetanus vaccination status, with referral if infection signs or delayed healing occur. Other approaches aren’t appropriate because applying heat can worsen inflammation and promote bacterial growth, squeezing a wound to express pus can introduce contaminants and impede healing, and ignoring symptoms leaves infection unchecked.