Abscesses
An abscess is an enclosed collection of pus that forms when bacteria invade the body's tissues, leading to an accumulation of dead white blood cells and enzymes. This condition can occur anywhere in the body but is most commonly found just beneath the skin, often resulting from infections such as staph infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Symptoms typically include heat, swelling, tenderness, and redness at the site, with systemic signs like fever or weight loss occurring in more severe cases. Individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those with diabetes or AIDS, are at a higher risk for developing abscesses.
Treatment usually involves draining the abscess, which may require local anesthesia and surgical intervention. In some cases, antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent reinfection, although they are not always necessary. Abscesses can lead to serious complications, including sepsis or damage to surrounding organs, so timely medical attention is advised. Understanding how to care for injuries can help prevent abscess formation, and with appropriate treatment, most abscesses heal successfully.
Subject Terms
Abscesses
ANATOMY OR SYSTEM AFFECTED: All
DEFINITION: Any enclosed collection of pus, whether sterile or infected.
CAUSES: An enclosed collection of pus following bacterial infection
SYMPTOMS: Heat, swelling, tenderness, redness at the site; when systemic, fever or weight loss
DURATION: Acute
TREATMENTS: Drainage
Causes and Symptoms
When bacteria enter the body’s tissue, white blood cells migrate to the site to fight infection. As they fight off the bacteria, they subsequently die. These dead white blood cells, and the enzymes that they produce as they decay, accumulate as fluid. It is this fluid that forms what is commonly known as pus. An enclosed collection of pus is called an abscess. Abscesses may occur at various sites within the body. Because often enter the body through the skin, abscesses commonly occur at sites just under the skin. Perhaps the most common abscesses are staph infections, which are caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.
Abscesses can occur in the abdomen, pelvis, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, liver, or prostate gland, or in the area behind the abdominal cavity (the retroperitoneal space). Abscesses can also occur in the head, neck, or hands, or in any of the muscles throughout the body. Throat abscesses are more likely to develop in children than in adults, often as a result of an infection such as strep throat. Though most commonly under the skin, where they are readily discernible, abscesses can also form deep within the body, where they are undetectable unless a diagnostic procedure such as computed tomography> (CT) scanning or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used. Signs aiding in the diagnosis of an abscess include heat, swelling, tenderness, and redness at the site. Bodywide, or systemic, symptoms such as fever or weight loss can also accompany abscesses, often when they are deeper.
Because people with weakened immune systems have a decreased ability to ward off infection, they are more likely to develop abscesses than are people with healthy immune systems. Abscess formation is frequently seen in patients with diabetes, sickle cell disease, and Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), or in patients on steroid therapy.
Abscesses can foster processes that infect the blood, causing sepsis, which can spread infection to distant sites within the body. A locally spread abscess can cause bleeding in nearby vessels or impair the functioning of a major organ.
Treatment and Therapy
Patients often will not seek medical attention for an abscess until it has become painful or inconvenient. The abscess may come to a point, or “head,” and rupture spontaneously. If the abscess does not rupture, then it may require drainage. The site is numbed with an anesthetic; the abscess is cut open and drained. The pus is manually expressed. When the abscess is large enough, packing may be inserted to minimize bleeding and to help prevent the reaccumulation of pus. The packing is often removed the following day. Usually, antibiotics are not needed, but they may be prescribed to prevent reinfection. Deep abscesses sometimes require CT-guided drainage. Analyzing the pus in a laboratory can often help to guide treatment.
Prompt treatment of infections will often prevent the development of abscesses. Patients should be instructed to take care of injuries of any type, particularly bites and puncture wounds. The prognosis after treatment is good, as most abscesses should heal well.
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