Abscess Drainage
Abscess drainage is the technique used to remove an infection that is characterized by the presence of pus surrounded by an area of tissue that is inflamed. Abscesses must be drained of the pus. Antibiotics alone will not heal an abscess. If left untreated, an abscess can progress and involve deeper tissue with the potential to develop into a life-threatening, systemic infection. Most abscesses occur on the skin, frequently in hair-bearing areas such as the groin. Usually these superficial abscesses can be drained with a surgical lance or other means by a medical professional using local anesthesia. The wound is bandaged and if appropriate, antibiotics prescribed. If the abscess cannot be drained effectively at bedside, or if the pain is too great for local anesthesia to be helpful, or other reasons, the procedure can be drained in the operating room under sedation or general anesthesia. Abscesses also can form in muscle, organs, or body cavities. The diagnosis is made with CT or ultrasound scans. Interventional radiologists drain internal abscesses with through a puncture of the skin (percutaneously) into the affected space, using a long needle and CT, ultrasound, or fluoroscopy guidance. A small drainage tube may be left in place for a few days to drain the fluid.
Why UAB
The group uses the latest and most advanced technology and imaging methods, including fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and CT scans, to treat tumors as well as peripheral arterial, venous, urologic, and hepatobiliary diseases. Each of our five dedicated angiography suites has the full range of imaging technology needed for complex procedures, along with the latest in patient monitoring and documentation systems. Because UAB Medicine is an academic health center, patients may be offered participation in clinical research trials, which can provide access to new techniques and treatments that are not available elsewhere in the area.
Related Conditions
This procedure may be used to treat or diagnose several different conditions. We have listed some of these conditions below for your convenience. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list and may vary depending on your specific diagnosis.
CLINICAL TRIALS
UAB is an active participant in research and clinical trials for Abscess Drainage. We encourage you to speak to your physician about research and clinical trial options and browse the link below for more information on clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov.
View Clinical TrialsMore from UAB
Around the Web
radiologyinfo.org
Latest Headlines
-
UAB Dietitians Reveal Their ‘Guilty Pleasures’
- Publish Date
- 2/14/19
-
Medications and Kidney Disease: What You Should Know
- Publish Date
- 2/14/19
-
Women in Medicine Spotlight: Jayme Locke, MD
- Publish Date
- 1/31/19
-
UAB Medicine Supports Heart Month 2019
- Publish Date
- 1/30/19
-
VIDEO: Celebrating National Women Physicians Day
- Publish Date
- 1/28/19
-
UAB Clinicians You Should be Following on Twitter: Part II
- Publish Date
- 1/22/19
-
Genome: Unlocking Life's Code
- Publish Date
- 1/16/19
-
UAB Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology 2018 Facts & Figures
- Publish Date
- 1/16/19
-
UAB Faculty and Fellows Active in American College of Rheumatology Leadership
- Publish Date
- 1/3/19
-
Faculty Spotlight: Laura B. Hughes
- Publish Date
- 1/3/19
UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS
- Genome: Unlocking Life's Code
Do you have your mother’s dimples? Or your father’s hairline? What makes us, us? And how much of it actually sets us apart from every other living thing on Earth?
Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code begins to unravel the mystery behind the complete set of instructions needed for every living thing on Earth to grow and function: the genome. Discover how your genome could be the key to maximizing your future quality of life as genomic science helps open the way to more personalized healthcare. See yourself in a new way: as an individual, as a member of a family, and as part of the diversity of life on Earth.
Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code opens January 19 at McWane Science Center and was made possible in part by financial support secured by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The exhibit is sponsored by UAB Medicine, which is using its knowledge of the human genome to advance the field of precision medicine, an exciting approach to health care that combines the absolute latest in the prediction and prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease to deliver truly individualized patient care.
Related Links
radiologyinfo.org