Irrigation Versus no Irrigation for Cutaneous Abscess

Cutaneous Abscess Clinical Trial

Official title: Is Routine Irrigation of Cutaneous Abscesses Necessary?

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

In this study, the investigators are trying to find out if washing out the abscess (pocket of pus) with fluid will help, instead of only taking out the pus. Your care will be the same as usual, except that you will be selected randomly to have your abscess washed out with fluid, or not.

Clinical Trial Description

Irrigation of the abscess cavity is commonly described as part of the procedure of incision and drainage of cutaneous abscesses (1-4). Despite this, there are no randomized controlled trials that demonstrate the benefit of irrigation in treatment of these abscesses. Potential disadvantages of irrigation include increased procedural time, pain, increased cost with sterile irrigation solutions and materials to capture the irrigation effluent, and increased risk of microbiologic contamination of the surrounding area. The goal of this study is to examine patients undergoing incision and drainage of cutaneous abscesses to determine if irrigation of the abscess cavity affects the need for further interventions. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Abscess
• Cutaneous Abscess
• Skin Diseases

• NCT number: NCT01606657
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of California, San Francisco
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: August 2010
• Completion date: April 2015