Serosanguineousdrainage is the normal discharge of fluid from a wound or incision site after surgery.
Serosanguineous drainage lasts for a few days as a wound heals.
If you notice these signs, contact a healthcare provider.
Illustration by Tara Anand for Verywell Health
They may indicate slow healing, aninfection, or an injury to a vein or artery.
Illustration by Tara Anand for Verywell Health
What Is Serosanguineous Discharge?
Serosanguineous discharge is normal as a wound orsurgical incisionheals.
The discharge should be odorless.
With normal wound drainage, serum from blood plasma will be the main fluid seeping from the wound.
Even so, there may be variations in the amounts and color of the fluid drainage.
Causes of Serosanguineous Drainage
Serosanguineous drainage is common during the healing process of a wound.
Many people will experience this fluid discharge in the six weeks following surgery.
Whats Normal?
These other types of wound drainage may indicate a problem with the wound.
Contact your surgeon or healthcare provider without delay if things seem abnormal.
In some cases, you may need to seek emergency care.
Serum is also known as serous fluid or serous exudate.
Withserousdrainage, the fluid seeping from a wound is thin and watery with a slightly yellowish hue.
There may be crusting around the wound due to the clumping of fibrinogens.
Serous drainage typically occurs in the first few days after surgery.
Sanguineous Drainage
Sanguineousdrainage shows up when thicker red blood is draining from the wound.
It can happen when there is a deep incision through multiple layers of tissues.
Sanguineous drainage usually happens soon after surgery and may resolve on its own once there is ample clotting.
Even so, it is never considered normal and should be seen by a healthcare provider immediately.
Hemorrhagic Drainage
Hemorrhagicdrainage triggers when blood is freely flowing from a wound (resulting in ahemorrhage).
It usually happens when an artery or vein has been damaged.
If the blood is bright red and spurts or gushes, it means that an artery has been ruptured.
If the blood is dark red and steadily flowing, it means that a vein has been ruptured.
Emergency care is an absolute necessity.
Purulent Drainage
Purulentdrainage involves the presence ofpus.
There may even bewound dehiscence(in which the incision starts to open up).
Purulent drainage needs to be seen by a healthcare provider as a matter of urgency to avoid complications likecellulitisandsepsisinfections.
The treatment may involve oral, topical, and/or IVantibiotics, depending on the severity.
Seropurulent Drainage
Seropurulentdrainage means that serum and pus have mixed to form a milky, white discharge.
The discharge may have a foul smell or no smell.
Withproper wound care, drainage from an incision should resolve without incident.
There are times, however, when an infection or injury can cause abnormal wound healing.
Checking the discharge can alert you to whether there is a problem.
The drainage is clear, slightly yellow, or tinged with pink.
The fluid discharge is thin and watery.
The drainage has no odor.
There is only a very small amount of bleeding.
Pain, swelling, and redness are improving.
The drainage contains large amounts of blood.
The drainage is milky or yellow, tan, green, or brown.
The drainage smells foul.
There is a steady flow or gushing of blood.
Pain, swelling, and redness are getting worse.
Abnormal wound drainage should be seen by your surgeon or healthcare provider without delay.
If there is significant bleeding that doesnt stop, rush to your nearest emergency room.
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