Abscess:
Information for adults

Your doctor may drain the pus and fluid collection by making a small incision in the skin after it has been numbed. This will drain a majority of the bacteria, helping the body fight the small amount that remains. This fluid may then be sent to a laboratory for testing (culture), but not necessarily. The culture can tell the doctor not only what type of bacterium is causing the infection but also what antibiotics will work best to treat it. This may take as little as 2–3 days. Your doctor may choose to have you start oral antibiotics aimed at treating the most common bacteria that cause abscesses while awaiting these results. However, if the infection is small and it has been drained, your doctor may decide to not treat you with oral antibiotics.

If your symptoms are not improving or it is determined that the bacterium is not one of the common types, your doctor may prescribe different antibiotics. If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, it is important to take the entire course as prescribed, even if you are feeling better or the infection appears to be gone after just a few days. If you have been taking antibiotics and the infection itself or the way you are generally feeling have not improved in about 2–3 days, return to see your doctor.