Preventing Wound Infections Before and After Surgery: Write Down Your Care and Help Arrangements

Before surgery, tell your team about your medical conditions, medicines, and allergies. Do not shave the surgical site yourself with a razor. Before discharge, ask a nurse to demonstrate how to care for this wound. Write down how to get help during the day, at night, and in a local emergency, and who will take over your care when you return home to your country.[1]

Key Points

• Tell your team in advance if you have a rash or broken skin at the surgical site, or recent signs of infection such as fever. Do not shave the area yourself.[1]
• Follow the written instructions for this surgery when changing dressings, showering, and caring for devices. Clean your hands before and after touching the wound.[1]
• Contact your surgical team immediately if redness, swelling, or pain worsens, you have cloudy discharge, the incision opens, or you develop a fever. Go to a local emergency department immediately if you feel severely unwell, redness or swelling spreads rapidly, or you have severe pain. Contact local emergency services if you have trouble breathing or a change in alertness.[1][2]

What to Tell Your Team Before Surgery

Tell your doctor about your medical history, diabetes, smoking, medicines you are taking, and any allergies to antibiotics or other antimicrobial medicines, including the specific reactions. Also report any broken skin at the surgical site or recent signs of infection, such as fever. The team will decide whether to adjust your preparation or surgery arrangements. Do not shave the surgical site yourself with a razor. If hair removal is needed, ask the team how it should be done.[1]

You can ask: “How should I clean the area for this surgery? Do I need preventive medicine? Will my allergy history change the plan?” The surgical team decides which medicines to use and when. Do not take leftover antibiotics or other antimicrobial medicines on your own.

Learn to Care for This Wound Before Discharge

Ask a nurse to demonstrate and write down: when the dressing should be changed or removed and by whom; when you can shower; what to use to clean the wound; which changes are expected after this surgery; and when to have stitches removed or attend a follow-up visit. Do not apply ointments, powders, or antiseptic products to or around the wound unless your surgical team agrees.[3]

If you have a drain or another device, ask the team to demonstrate how to secure it and keep records, and write down what is normal and who to contact if something is wrong. If a family member needs to change the dressing, ask a nurse to teach them and confirm that they can do it. Clean hands before and after care. Other visitors should not touch the wound or dressing unnecessarily.[1]

Who to Contact if Things Change

Contact your surgical team immediately if redness, swelling, or pain around the wound worsens, you have cloudy or foul-smelling discharge, the incision opens, or you develop a fever. Also contact the team promptly if a drain falls out, seems blocked, or its drainage changes noticeably, and follow their instructions.[1][4] If you cannot reach the team promptly, seek local medical care as soon as possible.

Go to a local emergency department immediately if redness or swelling spreads rapidly, you have severe pain, or you feel severely unwell overall. If you have trouble breathing or a change in alertness, contact local emergency services immediately. Do not wait for a remote reply.[2]

When contacting the team, explain the surgery date and site, when symptoms began and how quickly they are changing, your temperature, and any changes in discharge or the amount of drainage. If the team requests photos, send them through a secure channel they approve. However, photos cannot rule out a deep infection, replace a necessary in-person assessment, or be a reason to delay emergency care.[1]

Your doctor may arrange tests, collect samples, or provide other treatment depending on your situation. You can ask whether a culture is needed and who will follow up on the results, but do not delay emergency treatment while waiting for samples to be collected or results to come back.[1]

Arrange Follow-up with a Named Person Before Returning Home

Confirm which local clinician will check your wound and when, who will manage stitch removal, drains, or other devices, and where to go if problems arise. Ask your original team who will review photos and pending pathology or microbiology results, and when the patient will be notified. Ask who to contact outside working hours and how long to wait for a reply before seeking local medical care.

Bring your discharge summary and operation report. If applicable, also bring implant information, device and drainage records, medication details, and available test results. Ask your original team to hand over pending results and the follow-up plan to the doctor taking over your care, and confirm that the doctor has received them and can arrange ongoing care. Both teams should confirm how information will be received and the response times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will shaving at home first make the area cleaner?

Do not shave the surgical site yourself with a razor. Razors may irritate the skin. The surgical team will arrange hair removal if it is needed.[1]

Should I remove the dressing every day after discharge to check the wound?

Follow the discharge instructions for this surgery first. Ask how long the dressing should stay in place, when it should be changed, and by whom. There is no single schedule for all wounds.

Can a family member help change the dressing?

First ask a nurse to train your family member and confirm that they can do it. Clean hands before and after touching the wound, and follow the specific care instructions.[1]

Does redness mean the wound is definitely infected?

A single visible sign is not enough to tell. Contact your care team immediately for assessment if redness, swelling, or pain worsens, you have cloudy discharge, or you develop a fever.[1]

After sending a photo, can I wait for my original surgeon to reply?

Contact the team as agreed first. If you cannot reach them promptly and symptoms persist or worsen, seek local medical care. If you feel severely unwell or have an emergency, get local help immediately. Do not wait for a reply to the photo.

Can I take leftover antibiotics myself?

Do not make this decision on your own. Contact a doctor for assessment. Treatment for an infection depends on the situation, and other medical treatment may also be needed.[1]

What if I need to return home before my results are ready?

Before leaving the hospital, ask when the results are expected and who will review them and notify you. Leave contact details that work, and tell the doctor taking over your care which results still need follow-up.

Sources

[1] US CDC: Surgical Site Infections, checked 2026-11-06.

[2] US CDC: Sepsis Information for People with a Recent Illness, Surgery, or Hospital Stay, checked 2026-11-06.

[3] UK University Hospitals Dorset: Post-operative Wound Care, checked 2026-11-06; follow your own surgical team’s instructions on cleaning and products.

[4] Cambridge University Hospitals: Going Home with a Wound Drain After Surgery, checked 2026-11-06; this is an example for a specific drain. Follow your own team’s instructions for its care.