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Green Discoloration in a Second-Degree Burn: Sign of Infection - Seek Care Immediately
Green discoloration in a burn wound is never normal. It strongly suggests Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection—a gram-negative bacterium producing blue-green pigments (pyocyanin, pyoverdine).
Immediate Actions
- Seek medical evaluation today—urgent care, burn clinic, or ED.
- Do not self-treat with home remedies, antibiotics, or debridement.
- Cover loosely with sterile non-adherent dressing.
Why Urgent?
- Pseudomonas invades deep tissue rapidly; can cause sepsis, cellulitis, graft failure.
- Resistant to many antibiotics; requires targeted therapy (piperacillin-tazobactam, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime).
- Topical agents (silver sulfadiazine, mafenide acetate, acetic acid soaks) adjunctive only.
Other Concerning Signs
- Increasing pain, erythema, warmth, swelling
- Foul odor, purulent drainage
- Fever >100.4°F, chills, tachycardia
- Rapid wound deterioration
Burn infections escalate quickly. Green = Pseudomonas until proven otherwise. Delay risks limb/life.
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