Identifiering av infektion i sår, en litteraturstudie
Regardless of what discipline nurses work in, wound care is one of the tasks. Caring for wounds involves early detection of signs of infection, in order to avoid complication. Wound infection extends suffering for the patient and causes unnecessary costs for society. The aim was to describe how nurses can identify infection in wounds. Method: The design of the study was a literature review, where13 scientific articles were examined and analyzed. The content was structured into sub- and main categories. Findings: Several different symptoms, like exudate, erythema, oedema, pain, increased local temperature, foul odour, delayed healing and inflammation, can indicate infection in wounds. Assessment tools and recommendations are available to facilitate clinical observations of wounds. Discussion: None of the above mentioned symptoms can alone determine infection, even though some, like pus and unexpected pain, occur more frequently than others. The use of assessment tools also involves documentation. This simplifies follow up of wound status and ensures the quality of care for the patient.