Plain words are enough
Describing wound changes to your care team does not take medical vocabulary. Clinicians need to know what you saw, felt or smelled, when it started and how it differs from before. “The bandage stayed dry all week, and today it soaked through by lunch” is more useful than a guess at a medical term.
Start with what changed and when
A good report opens with three facts:
- Which wound. “The one on my left heel.” If there is more than one, use the same names the clinician uses.
- What is different. Compare it with what you usually see or feel.
- Since when. Say when you first noticed it and whether it is getting worse, staying the same or easing.
Then add anything that happened around that time, such as a fall, a bump, new shoes or a dressing that got wet. You do not have to know whether it is connected.
Details that help the clinician
Share the ones you know.
- Size. Does the wound look larger or deeper, or is there a new opening? Comparing it with a coin works.
- Color. Describe the wound and the skin around it. On darker skin, redness can be hard to see, so mention any area that looks darker than usual or feels warm, firm or swollen.
- Drainage. Say how often the dressing soaks through, what color the fluid is and whether it is thin or thick. See what wound drainage means.
- Smell. Mention a new or stronger odor.
- Pain. Is it more than before, a different kind, or present at different times? Talking about wound pain and discomfort offers words for this.
- How you feel overall. Fever, chills, unusual tiredness, nausea or confusion. If you have diabetes, mention blood sugar readings that are higher than usual.
- The dressing or device. Slipping, leaking, a wrap that feels too tight, or toes that look pale or feel numb.
A message you can read aloud
Write it down before you call. A script keeps the message short, and it helps when you reach voicemail.
“This is [your name]. I am calling about a change in the wound on my [location]. Since [day or time], I have noticed [what changed]. Before that, it was [what was usual]. I [do or do not] have a fever or more pain. What would you like me to do next? My number is [number].”
Say your name and number slowly. If you are calling for someone else, give their name and yours.
Photos and notes
A photo can show a change better than words, but only take one if the wound is already uncovered for a scheduled dressing change. Do not remove a dressing early for a picture unless the clinician asks you to.
Ask the treating practice how it wants photos sent. Do not send photos or medical details through our web form, which is for contact details only. Our guide to telehealth and wound photos covers lighting, angles and privacy.
Use the contact route your team gave you
Follow the instructions from your treating team about whom to call. Start by saying, “This is about a change in the wound,” so the call is not handled as a scheduling request. Before you hang up, repeat the next step back and ask whom to contact if you do not hear from the clinician.
If Gateway arranged your visits and you cannot reach the treating practice, call 314-325-0126 and we will pass your message along. Gateway staff do not make clinical decisions, but we can help the message reach the person who does. If you do not have a wound care team yet, you can request care and we will call you back.
Changes that should not wait
Call 911 for bleeding that will not stop with firm pressure, trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting, sudden confusion, or a hand or foot that suddenly turns cold, pale, blue or numb.
Contact your treating clinician right away, or seek urgent care if you cannot reach them, for:
- Fever or chills
- Redness that is spreading, or red streaks moving away from the wound
- Thick, cloudy or foul-smelling drainage
- Pain that is increasing quickly
- A wound that has opened up or become suddenly deeper
Our guides on the signs of wound infection and when to call a wound care specialist go into more detail.
Common questions
What if I am not sure the change is real?
Report it and say you are unsure. Clinicians would rather hear “I think it looks a little redder, but I am not certain” than hear nothing for a week. Mention what makes you doubt it, such as different lighting or a new person changing the dressing.
Should I take the dressing off to look before I call?
Not unless your instructions say to. Describe what you can tell with the dressing in place: staining on the outside, smell, swelling, pain and the skin you can see at the edges. The clinician will tell you whether to remove it, leave it alone or wait for a nurse.
How do I describe a wound I cannot see, like one on my back or heel?
Say at the start that you cannot see it. Then report what you can: “I cannot see it, but the dressing looks wetter and it hurts more.” Add anything a helper has noticed. If nobody is available to look, tell the clinician, because it affects how they plan follow-up.
I left a message and nobody called back. What now?
Call again and say it is your second call about a change in the wound. Use the after-hours instructions if the office is closed. For visits Gateway arranged, call 314-325-0126 and we will help get the message to the treating practice. If the wound is getting worse quickly while you wait, seek urgent care. For an emergency, call 911.
Related pages
General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Updated October 2026