What are common signs of wound infection?

• A. Redness, warmth, swelling, fever
• B. Redness, warmth, swelling, increased pain, purulent drainage, fever
• C. Redness, warmth, swelling only
• D. Redness, warmth, swelling, itching

Answer: (B)

Signs of wound infection arise from both the local inflammatory response and potential systemic involvement. Redness, warmth, and swelling show the body's reaction to bacteria at the wound site. If infection is present or worsening, pain around the wound often increases beyond what’s expected during healing. Purulent drainage indicates pus from bacterial activity, and fever reflects a systemic response to infection. The option that includes all of these elements best captures the common signs of wound infection. The other choices miss one or more of these indicators (for example, lacking purulent drainage or fever, or introducing itching), so they don’t align as well with typical infection signs.