Discharge

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aditya Govindavarjhulla, M.B.B.S. [2]

Discharge is an exudate draining from the wounds. It can be internal or external. It is formed from the serum.

(resembling serum)

• Clear or straw colored in appearance.
• Arises from protein and fluid in the tissue.
• Supports the healing process and contains protein, electrolytes, sugar and white cells.
• Occurs as a normal process of healing.

(contains blood cells)

• Red drainage from trauma to a blood vessel.
• This may occur with the cleaning of a wound or disturbance to a wound.
• The consistency appears thin and watery with sanguinous fluid.
• Discharge fluid contains red blood cells, which give it its red appearance.

(consisting of serum and blood)

• Serosanguinous fluid appears pink due to a small number of blood cells mixing with serous drainage.
• Thin and water-like consistency.
• Serosanguinous fluid is a normal occurrence in the healing of wounds.

(containing pus)

• Purulent discharge is yellow, gray or green in color.
• It results when infection occurs.
• The discharge fluid has infectious microbes, white cells and other inflammatory cells.
• The volume of the exudate increases with prolonged infection.

(containing mucus and pus)

• Mucopurulent discharge is pus with mucoid cells.
• It is a whitish-yellow or yellow substance produced during inflammatory responses of the body.
• It can be noticed in regions of pyogenic bacterial infections.
• It consists of a thin, protein-rich fluid, known as liquor puris, and dead neutrophils (white blood cells), which are part of the body’s innate immune response.

(characterized by hemorrhage)

• Hemorrhagic discharge indicates a leaking blood vessel leaking blood.
• The consistency is thicker than sanguinous fluid.
• It may require surgical methods to control bleeding.