Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Is Incision The Best Way To Treat Abscess?
Question: Abscess. Doctor did incision a week back and yesterday again he cut it again to drain completely and packed. He said packing is important so that wound heals from inside. It is too painful while the previous doctor who performed first incision said it's upto me if I want packing. Pus is still coming out of the wound and cut is big. I am just concerned if this thing is really abscess and incision is the best thing, moreover I will get better.
Second question is for hair loss.
Second question is for hair loss.
Brief Answer:
Draining pus would help heal it faster; also need to take Oral antibiotics..
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thanks for writing to us at healthcaremagic
An abscess is an accumulation of infected necrotic tissue.
An incision is the best thing for an abscess because draining infected material would allow it to heal faster.
Apart from draining an abscess and antiseptic cleaning/dressings, it is also important to start on Oral antibiotics which would also help resolve any remaining infection inside the abscess cavity.
I usually start my patients on one of the oral antibiotics empirically; Oral antibiotics may be modified later as guided by pus culture and sensitivity report sent to the lab, from the infected pus.
My choice of an empirical oral antibiotics would have been either Flucloxacillin Or Cephalexin. Oral antibiotics would prevent further spread of the infection as well as resolve existing one.
Oral antibiotics are prescription drugs, therefore I suggest that you talk to your treating doctor for the needful.
Your second question is regarding hair loss. I have answered it separately in another question that you have put in at the forum. Please check.
Regards
Draining pus would help heal it faster; also need to take Oral antibiotics..
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thanks for writing to us at healthcaremagic
An abscess is an accumulation of infected necrotic tissue.
An incision is the best thing for an abscess because draining infected material would allow it to heal faster.
Apart from draining an abscess and antiseptic cleaning/dressings, it is also important to start on Oral antibiotics which would also help resolve any remaining infection inside the abscess cavity.
I usually start my patients on one of the oral antibiotics empirically; Oral antibiotics may be modified later as guided by pus culture and sensitivity report sent to the lab, from the infected pus.
My choice of an empirical oral antibiotics would have been either Flucloxacillin Or Cephalexin. Oral antibiotics would prevent further spread of the infection as well as resolve existing one.
Oral antibiotics are prescription drugs, therefore I suggest that you talk to your treating doctor for the needful.
Your second question is regarding hair loss. I have answered it separately in another question that you have put in at the forum. Please check.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
But for how long this incision will keep draining as it's almost 7 days. New doctor told me that swelling was not completely flat before which is totally flat now. My concern is how long this will keep draining.
Brief Answer:
7-10 days, Pus culture and a course of oral antibiotics
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Since it is draining, this is an indication that there is still infection in there.
Are you on some Oral Antibiotics as well?
Normally it should stop draining and heal within 7-10 days with oral antibiotics and daily dressing.
However, if it was a big abscess, oral antibiotics may need to be continued for a bit longer than 7-10 days, may be 2 weeks.
I will suggest pus culture sensitivity from the discharge/pus so as to culture the causative organism(s) and determine its antibiotic sensitivity.
Oral antibiotics can be modified/ changed according to the sensitivity report.
Regards
7-10 days, Pus culture and a course of oral antibiotics
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Since it is draining, this is an indication that there is still infection in there.
Are you on some Oral Antibiotics as well?
Normally it should stop draining and heal within 7-10 days with oral antibiotics and daily dressing.
However, if it was a big abscess, oral antibiotics may need to be continued for a bit longer than 7-10 days, may be 2 weeks.
I will suggest pus culture sensitivity from the discharge/pus so as to culture the causative organism(s) and determine its antibiotic sensitivity.
Oral antibiotics can be modified/ changed according to the sensitivity report.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Thanks again.
So culture report did not yielded much encouraging results and doctor said you have mixed infection where some bacteria's need oxygen while others don't.
I am taking oral medication. Name of medications are provided in currently took medications and they are antibiotics. These are changed recently, last week after first incision I was prescribed some different antibiotics.
So in your opinion am I on the right track in terms of care provided by my current doctor? More I am worried about the packing of wound. In my case it is very painful.
So culture report did not yielded much encouraging results and doctor said you have mixed infection where some bacteria's need oxygen while others don't.
I am taking oral medication. Name of medications are provided in currently took medications and they are antibiotics. These are changed recently, last week after first incision I was prescribed some different antibiotics.
So in your opinion am I on the right track in terms of care provided by my current doctor? More I am worried about the packing of wound. In my case it is very painful.
Brief Answer:
Need to add more antibiotics to cover for gram-ve and anaerobic bacteria
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Your current medications are actually not displaying on my screen/dashboard. Probably you forgot to mention to me, but I think you have a separate query regarding the same concern also getting answered By Dr. Ivo Ditah, where I can see that your current medications include doxycycline and hydrocodone.
Doxycycline is a good antibiotic but it has its action spectrum only against aerobic (oxygen requiring) gram+ve bacteria.
Whereas an abscess is a mixed infection and should be treated with a broad spectrum antibiotic coverage against all, aerobic(oxygen requiring) gram +ve and gram -ve bacteria as well as anaerobic (not requiring oxygen) bacteria.
Therefore I would like to cover for gram -ve as well as anerobic bacteria as well.
Third generation cephalosporins e.g ceftazidime, cefoperazone, ceftriaxone etc cover gram -ve bacteria whereas drugs like metronidazole cover for anaerobic bacteria and should be added as well.
Lack of cover for gram -ve and anaerobic bacteria may be one reason for delayed healing.
You may discuss about these with your treating doctor.
Regards
Need to add more antibiotics to cover for gram-ve and anaerobic bacteria
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Your current medications are actually not displaying on my screen/dashboard. Probably you forgot to mention to me, but I think you have a separate query regarding the same concern also getting answered By Dr. Ivo Ditah, where I can see that your current medications include doxycycline and hydrocodone.
Doxycycline is a good antibiotic but it has its action spectrum only against aerobic (oxygen requiring) gram+ve bacteria.
Whereas an abscess is a mixed infection and should be treated with a broad spectrum antibiotic coverage against all, aerobic(oxygen requiring) gram +ve and gram -ve bacteria as well as anaerobic (not requiring oxygen) bacteria.
Therefore I would like to cover for gram -ve as well as anerobic bacteria as well.
Third generation cephalosporins e.g ceftazidime, cefoperazone, ceftriaxone etc cover gram -ve bacteria whereas drugs like metronidazole cover for anaerobic bacteria and should be added as well.
Lack of cover for gram -ve and anaerobic bacteria may be one reason for delayed healing.
You may discuss about these with your treating doctor.
Regards
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
