Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Pus?Incision DrainageAbscessesTreating the WoundWhen to Get Help
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Pus?
Incision Drainage
Abscesses
Treating the Wound
When to Get Help
Pus is also known aspurulentdrainage. It is a general term for the thick, often white fluid that collects at the source of aninfection. Pus can occur around many types of infections, but it can be especially concerning after surgery.
Drainage that appears in an incision may be a sign of infection, but not all drainage is pus. Still, it can be an alarming thing to see at yoursurgical incision.
This article discusses pus in surgical incisions. It also looks at the ways post-surgical infection is treated.
Barrett Forster / Getty Images
Pus Explained
Pus is made from:
When you see pus, it means your body is working to fight an infection. Still, it’s never a good thing when a wound becomes infected.
Pus is usually white or a yellow-white color. Sometimes it can be greenish, blood-tinged, blue, or in rare cases even brown. It can also have a foul odor.
Pus appears in a surgical incision when it is becoming infected. It’s a sign that you need further treatment. Surgical infections can become serious quickly, so if you see pus call your surgeon at once.
An infection that spreads and reaches the bloodstream is called sepsis.Sepsis can become life-threatening.
Drainage From a Surgical Incision
Keep in mind that there are manytypes of drainage, ranging from normal to serious.
You may notice small amounts of thin, clear fluid with a slightly pink or yellow tint draining from the wound as it heals. This is normal and should decrease over the following days to weeks as the wound heals. The length of time it will take depends on your general health and the type of surgery you had.
It is possible to have drainage that looks like pus but is actually just normal drainage.The only way to tell the difference is to seek medical attention. This chart may also help:
Normal vs. Abnormal DrainageNormalClear to pale yellow or pinkThin and wateryContains only very small amounts of bloodDecreasing amounts of drainageDoes not smellAbnormalCloudyThick and pus-likeRed (fresh blood), brown, white, or blue-greenLarge or increasing amounts of drainageSmells foul
Normal vs. Abnormal Drainage
NormalClear to pale yellow or pinkThin and wateryContains only very small amounts of bloodDecreasing amounts of drainageDoes not smell
Clear to pale yellow or pink
Thin and watery
Contains only very small amounts of blood
Decreasing amounts of drainage
Does not smell
AbnormalCloudyThick and pus-likeRed (fresh blood), brown, white, or blue-greenLarge or increasing amounts of drainageSmells foul
Cloudy
Thick and pus-like
Red (fresh blood), brown, white, or blue-green
Large or increasing amounts of drainage
Smells foul
If your surgical wound seems abnormal in any way, or if you still are not sure, contact your surgeon or healthcare provider. Most surgical wound infections occur within the first 30 days after surgery.
Abscesses Explained
Some infections only produce a small amount of pus. In others, there may be significant buildup. Large amounts of pus may not always be visible because they are under the skin or deep inside an incision.
Anabscesshappens when drainage does not leak out. Abscesses can appear almost anywhere in the human body.Acne whiteheads are examples of very small abscesses.
Pus can be found in large amounts when an abscess is severe or goes untreated. This type of abscess can start with something as simple as an infected tooth, an infected surgical incision, or even a boil on the skin.
Treating a Wound When Pus Is Present
Resist the urge to scrub a surgical wound that has pus coming from it. You may want to get the area as clean as possible, but you could do more harm than good. Instead, tell your surgeon that there is an infection at the surgical site. Don’t clean it or try to remove the pus.
The surgeon may need to swab the site. This is for awound culture, which helps determine the nature of the infection and which antibiotic will be most helpful.
You may need antibiotics, a change in your wound care regimen, or both. Often, you’ll be given an antibiotic at the first sign of infection.If a culture indicates another antibiotic may work better, your doctor may have you switch.
When to Seek Medical Care
If you have any concerns about your surgical wound, do not hesitate to contact your surgeon or healthcare provider.
Call your provider right away if you notice any of the following after surgery:
Immediately call 911 if you develop chest pain or difficulty breathing.
Summary
Some drainage is normal after surgery, but it can be hard to tell whether drainage is a sign of infection or just fluid. Normal surgical drainage is thin, clear, and does not smell. If the fluid is yellow or green, smells foul, or contains blood, call a healthcare provider for help.
You should also contact your provider if you develop other signs of infection, like increasing pain or fever. It is far better to call and find out that there’s no need to worry than to ignore something that could become serious.
Healing and Recovering From Surgery
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Freiberg JA.The mythos of laudable pus along with an explanation for its origin.J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. 2017;7(3):196–198. doi:10.1080/20009666.2017.1343077Gyawali B, Ramakrishna K, Dhamoon AS.Sepsis: The evolution in definition, pathophysiology, and management.SAGE Open Med. 2019;7:2050312119835043. doi:10.1177/2050312119835043Panasci K.Burns and wounds. In:Acute Care Handbook for Physical Therapists (Fourth Edition). 2014;1(1):283-311. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-2896-1.00012-3Mount Sinai.Surgical wound infection - treatment.Loyola Medicine.Overview and facts about abscesses.UVA Health.Infection after surgery: signs & prevention.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Freiberg JA.The mythos of laudable pus along with an explanation for its origin.J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. 2017;7(3):196–198. doi:10.1080/20009666.2017.1343077Gyawali B, Ramakrishna K, Dhamoon AS.Sepsis: The evolution in definition, pathophysiology, and management.SAGE Open Med. 2019;7:2050312119835043. doi:10.1177/2050312119835043Panasci K.Burns and wounds. In:Acute Care Handbook for Physical Therapists (Fourth Edition). 2014;1(1):283-311. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-2896-1.00012-3Mount Sinai.Surgical wound infection - treatment.Loyola Medicine.Overview and facts about abscesses.UVA Health.Infection after surgery: signs & prevention.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Freiberg JA.The mythos of laudable pus along with an explanation for its origin.J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. 2017;7(3):196–198. doi:10.1080/20009666.2017.1343077Gyawali B, Ramakrishna K, Dhamoon AS.Sepsis: The evolution in definition, pathophysiology, and management.SAGE Open Med. 2019;7:2050312119835043. doi:10.1177/2050312119835043Panasci K.Burns and wounds. In:Acute Care Handbook for Physical Therapists (Fourth Edition). 2014;1(1):283-311. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-2896-1.00012-3Mount Sinai.Surgical wound infection - treatment.Loyola Medicine.Overview and facts about abscesses.UVA Health.Infection after surgery: signs & prevention.
Freiberg JA.The mythos of laudable pus along with an explanation for its origin.J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. 2017;7(3):196–198. doi:10.1080/20009666.2017.1343077
Gyawali B, Ramakrishna K, Dhamoon AS.Sepsis: The evolution in definition, pathophysiology, and management.SAGE Open Med. 2019;7:2050312119835043. doi:10.1177/2050312119835043
Panasci K.Burns and wounds. In:Acute Care Handbook for Physical Therapists (Fourth Edition). 2014;1(1):283-311. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-2896-1.00012-3
Mount Sinai.Surgical wound infection - treatment.
Loyola Medicine.Overview and facts about abscesses.
UVA Health.Infection after surgery: signs & prevention.
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