Abscesses

[kuulei04]

If I am going to let my abscess open on its own, is there any proper care I need to be aware of???  Please share!!  Thank you!

[coffeeknitter]

The packing was done daily to promote healing from within, and have the outter skin heal last. I would wipe my wound with alcohol to prevent infection. I was fortunate that I did not have any infections. The longest I had wounds open was for 122 days...a long long time.

[kuulei04]

Thank you.  I'm thinking my abscesses are smaller, do those need packing?  When I had my I&Ds I would have to leave packing (gauze) in for 24 hrs then I could remove it and change my dressing.  And after that I didn't need to pack it again, just change the dressing (gauze). Once the pus leakage minimized, I used breast pads (like for breast feeding) because the tape over the gauze eventually irritated my skin and I hated pulling it off.  

I have another abscess forming and I wanted to let it open on its own rather than an I&D since people say it just irritates the infection more.  It's like maybe 1 inch or less in diameter.  So I'm wondering when it opens at home, should I wipe it with alcohol? Put an ointment? Bandaid?  Any other suggestions?

[coffeeknitter]

Contact your doctor or a wound care clinic. If you need to pack it and change the dressing, you need to learn how to deal with it. I passed out trying to change my dressing in the beginning, so I had to see a nurse daily and eventually go to wound care.

If you do need to see how to pack it, ask for LIDOCAINE to be dripped it, not injected. The provide should wait 5 minutes, then do the procedure. This will reduce or even stop the pain when the procedure is being done. I learned this the hard wait...it hurt and hurt and hurt...then one day a would care nurse suggested it...ahhhh...the procedure was pain free.You will not be able to use the lidocaine at home, but in the clinics they can provide you with some. You may need your doctor to perscribe it for you and the clinic would keep it for you.