Cutaneous Abscess
Conditions
Keywords
I&D, Abscess, Irrigation, Cutaneous Abscess
Brief summary
In this study, the investigators are trying to find out if washing out the abscess (pocket of pus) with fluid will help, instead of only taking out the pus. Your care will be the same as usual, except that you will be selected randomly to have your abscess washed out with fluid, or not.
Detailed description
Irrigation of the abscess cavity is commonly described as part of the procedure of incision and drainage of cutaneous abscesses (1-4). Despite this, there are no randomized controlled trials that demonstrate the benefit of irrigation in treatment of these abscesses. Potential disadvantages of irrigation include increased procedural time, pain, increased cost with sterile irrigation solutions and materials to capture the irrigation effluent, and increased risk of microbiologic contamination of the surrounding area. The goal of this study is to examine patients undergoing incision and drainage of cutaneous abscesses to determine if irrigation of the abscess cavity affects the need for further interventions.
Interventions
PROCEDUREIrrigation
The patient will receive irrigation as a part of their wound care
OTHERNo Irrigation
The patient will not receive irrigation as part of their wound care
Sponsors
University of California, San Francisco
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. All patients 18 years of age and above 2. Patients that require a cutaneous abscess incision and drainage
Exclusion criteria
1. Unable to return for 48-hour followup. 2. Patients being admitted to the hospital or going to the operating room for incision and drainage 3. Pregnant patients 4. Prisoners
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Patients needing further treatment after irrigation for I&D | 7 day phone follow-up | Percentage of patients needing further treatment i. Further treatment defined as 1. Repeat I&D 2. Addition of an antibiotic (as new or to a pre-existing antibiotic) 3. Admission to hospital for cutaneous abscess-related problem 1. Abscess 2. Cellulitis 3. Septic arthritis 4. Sepsis |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VAS is correlated with decreased pain after I&D | two years | 1\) VAS post procedure pain score |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed