Infection? - Buffalo,NY

Minor Infection : Localized redness and swelling. Most cuts get a little of this around the edges.

Slightly more serious : Larger area of redness and swelling, pus.

Extremely serious:

- Large (or rapidly growing) area of redness and swelling. May be leaking pus or fluid or blood, may be hot and swollen. Draw around it with a sharpie following the line. See if it gets bigger if it's not immediately obvious, if it IS immediately obvious it gives doctors and idea as to how fast it's growing

&/OR

- Red lines extending medially (towards the body) from the cut

&/or

- Fever

______

For minor cuts with some localized infection... some neosporin (or other antimicrobial agent), and a bandaid changed as needed to keep dirt & "stuff" (that you can't see) from getting into it. Keep it clean and dry as much as possible.

ANYTHING more serious = a trip to the doctor.

"Slightly more serious" = your Primary Care Physician

"Extremely Serious" = the ER

At which point your doctors will advise you (once you are cleared to go home) how to treat it. It varies depending on the type of way they treat it. Any large rapidly growing area, red lines (blood posioning), or fever usually means being admitted to the hospital for a few days up to several weeks.

Sometimes you don't know.
ie: when I was a child, I had a small 1" cut on my leg. I washed it and put ointment on it etc. One day I got real sick... couldn't even stand up etc. and had fever etc.
My Dad looked me over and ascertained it was from my cut.
He had to carry me, to the Doctor.
The Doc said, I had a Staph infection and it was going to my bone.
He had to dig into it and clean it out with things and I almost ended up in the hospital. Got oral antibiotics prescription etc.

Now, looking at my cut, it didn't look, "infected." But it was, beneath the surface. It wasn't oozing or anything nor was it swollen or anything. It looked like a normal cut, which in the external skin, looked like it was healing. It was not. And it was not even sore.

If you are not sure about the cut you talk about in your post, see a Doc.

Riley had a great response, which was much more eloquent that what I was going to say. I've always been told to look for 3 signs: Redness, swelling, and warmth. (this holds true for pets as well. in furry pets, warmth is always the tell-tale sign. we have this every year with our hunting dogs.)

If a doctor ever tells you it's ok, and you are still suspicious, NEVER hesitate to get a second opinion. With infections, an hour can make a big difference. Better to be safe than sorry.

Just wanted to say great answer, Riley. You must be a doctor or nurse! I learned something too :)