A wound at the tailbone is nearly always a pressure sore, so the signs to watch for are the ones for pressure sores. Pressure sores form over bony sites such as the buttocks, elbows, hips, heels, ankles, shoulders, back and back of the head. The tailbone sits in that same area, and the same advice covers it.
Contact your provider right away if you develop blisters, an open sore, or any signs of infection, such as a foul odor from the sore, pus coming out of the sore, redness and tenderness around the sore, skin close to the sore that is warm or swollen, or fever.
The hard part with this spot is that you can’t see it. One habit does most of the work for a tailbone wound: check your skin for pressure sores every day, and ask your caregiver or someone you trust to check areas you can’t see. Every sign on the list above is something you see or feel, which means somebody else has to be looking.
This is also a spot that keeps getting pressure on it. Pressure sores occur when there is too much pressure on the skin for too long. This reduces blood flow to the area. If you are in a wheelchair, try to change your position every 15 minutes. If you are in bed, you should move or be moved about every 2 hours.
Moisture matters here too. Being unable to control your bladder or bowels makes a pressure sore more likely. For a stage I sore, if needed, use a moisture barrier to protect the area from bodily fluids. Ask your provider what type of moisture barrier to use. The advice is to ask which one, not to choose on your own.
And whether or not anything on the infection list is present: if your pressure sore changes or a new one forms, tell your provider.