How long does it take for a wound to become infected?

Answer 1

A wound can become infected in seconds, as soon as microbes settle in. If you mean, how long does it take for a wound to show signs of infection, that's different. You should see early signs in as little as 2-3 hours, and certainly in 48 hours. But start that clock when the Infection hits -- not the wound. For example... I can get wounded at 1000 on a Saturday but, because my wife is a nurse, she'll treat the wound instantly and it won't infect. However, on Tuesday, while the wound is still open, I decide to walk barefoot down the creek outside my home. NOW it's infected, and that's when the clock starts. After that creek walk, I should see signs very soon, and I'd expect them to show no later tahn 48 hours. Once the infection starts, it simply gets worse until you clean it up, your body mounts a successful defense, or hopefully both. For minor wounds, wash in warm water and soap -- a lot -- until they're clean. Then apply betadyne, hydrogen peroxide, or both. Don't use alcohol because that will hurt and it isn't a great antiseptic.