Puncture Wounds: Check Your Symptoms

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When to See a Doctor

Do you think you have an infection?

See significance of an infection if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Call your health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Do you have increased swelling, redness, or warmth around a deep wound?

Yes

Do you have increased swelling, redness, or warmth around a wound over a joint?

Yes

Do you have a puncture over a joint and increased pain with movement of the joint?

Yes

Do you have red streaks extending from a wound?

Yes

Is a wound over a joint tender to the touch?

Yes

Do you have any drainage of pus from a wound over a joint?

Yes

Do you have swollen lymph nodes near a wound over a joint?

Yes

Do you have a wound over a joint and think you know or think you have a fever?

Yes

Do you have diabetes?

Yes

Do you have peripheral arterial disease and a puncture wound on your leg or foot?

Yes

Do you have a disease or take medicine that causes problems with your immune system?

Call your health professional today if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Do you have increased pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around the wound?

Yes

Is the area around your puncture wound increasingly tender to the touch?

Yes

Do you have pus in or around the wound?

Yes

Do you know or think you may have a fever?

You may wait to see if the symptoms improve over the next 24 hours (or specified time period) if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Have you had mild pain and swelling with redness less than around a wound for 48 hours or longer?

Yes

Have you had swollen lymph nodes near a wound longer than 2 weeks?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Last updated:	June 10, 2008
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer