Abscess is a collection of pus usually caused by bacterial infection. Bacteria that invade the body are attacked by white blood cells, and pus is formed, which is discharged through the skin. Boils are surface abscesses. An abscess commonly occurs under the skin and may be caused by an infection of any small gland in the skin (folliculitis), a minor abrasion, or a cut. Abscesses often occur in moist areas of the body, such as the groin or armpit, and are more frequent in persons with diabetes.
Question: What are some of the symptoms of an abscess?
Pus forms and the surrounding tissues become red, swollen, and painful as the abscess stretches the area and tries to burst through the skin. The pain is due to pressure the pus puts upon nerve endings. Discomfort is relieved when the abscess bursts spontaneously or is lanced.
Question: What is the treatment for an external type of abscess?
The aim is to encourage the infection to reach the surface of the skin. The customary home treatment is a warm, moist compress. A medical objection to such treatment is that such a compress makes the surrounding tissue more prone to infection. Painkilling drugs, such as acetaminophen, may be used. The area may be rested, for example, by putting an arm in a sling when there is an abscess in the armpit. A dry dressing should be applied when an abscess comes to a head and discharges.
The abscess may need to be lanced by a physician if there is fever or pain or if the surrounding skin becomes increasingly red and tender.
Question: What other kinds of abscesses are there?
There are internal abscesses, usually accompanied by fever, local pain, and a tired, rundown feeling. Such abscesses can occur around a tooth (gumboil), in the breast, in bone (in mastoiditis and osteomyelitis), in the liver (in amoebic dysentery), in the vagina (Bartholin's cyst), in the appendix (appendicitis), or in the anal area, between the rectum and the ischium (ischiorectal abscess). In all such cases, a physician must be consulted.
Another kind of abscess is the cold abscess, which may be caused by tuberculosis. A cold abscess is so called because it is slow-forming and without pain, redness, or heat.
Hospitalization - Admission Procedures
The procedures you follow on admission to a hospital vary from one hospital to another, but basically the process is the same in most institutions in the United States.
Care of the Dying - Role of Friends
The friend can show appreciation of the work being done by the family and offer to stay with the patient if the family needs a little time away from home.
Care of the Dying - Death of an Older Child or an Adolescent
From the age of three years onward, a child begins to understand the concept of death and dying. The dying child feels protective toward his or her parents. Although the child desperately needs to talk about what is going to happen, he or she may never get close to the subject. The child may attach himself or herself to a nurse or physician while still relying on the parents. By doing this, the child is sharing the emotional responsibility. The parents may find this difficult to accept, but must realize that someone else can perhaps give more help by listening dispassionately to the child's fears and anxieties.
