Cutaneous Abscess I&D: Patient Care Instructions

00:01 Patient care instructions.

00:03 This is what I would inform the patient after the procedure.

00:07 I want you to monitor for increased pain, redness or fever.

00:11 And this is because this might be a sign that the infection is not improving.

00:15 I also want you to take your prescribed antibiotics until you're completely done, even if you get better before you finish.

00:23 Please make sure you complete your antibiotic therapy.

00:26 Also, you can use an over-the-counter pain medication and you would decide which pain medication the patient could have based on their past medical history.

00:37 You can also apply a warm compress 3 to 4 times a day.

00:41 This will help with swelling and it will also help with comfort.

00:45 You also want to remind the patient not to be picking at the wound, or squeezing other areas to get more of the infection out.

00:55 Care instructions that I would also share with them would be timing of when they need to return.

01:00 I would have them return typically within 24 hours because this is going to be a complex wound.

01:06 I would expect to replace the packing at that visit, and I'd also do additional teaching if they needed to replace the packing again at the 48 hour mark.

01:16 I'd also instruct the patient that they need to perform good hand hygiene before and after wound care. There is also a proper technique for replacing the iodoform, and we want to make sure that they're using aseptic techniques.

01:31 So I would teach this in the office so that they feel comfortable with doing this.

01:35 Signs of normal healing versus complication would be explained.

01:39 Healing would appear. Their erythema would be a going away as well as the swelling, and there wouldn't be any additional pain.

01:47 The pain should be improving.

01:50 Activity restrictions would also be given for the wound we want to think about.

01:54 We want to keep this dry.

01:56 So especially in the summertime, letting them know they can't go in the hot tub, they can't go in the swimming pool.

02:02 Those are going to be important.

02:03 And they may also not be able to get it wet in the shower.

02:07 This would depend on the type of wound and your discussion with the patient.

02:10 Expected healing time. Let them know how long it's going to take to heal.

02:15 Typically, it's going to probably take a good 7 to 10 days before this area is going to be healed up.

02:21 And again, you want to inform them again about signs and symptoms.

02:25 They need to be looking for, fever of greater than 101.5, spreading redness, increased pain, and of course foul odor with a thick yellow or green drainage.