digestive disorders
Abdominal Abscesses
Treatment of Abdominal Abscesses
Drainage of pus Antibiotics Almost all abdominal abscesses need to be drained of pus, either by surgery or by a needle and a small flexible tube (catheter). To guide the placement of the needle and catheter, a doctor uses CT or ultrasound scanning. Once the doctor is sure the needle and catheter have reached the abscess, the needle is taken out but the catheter is left in place. The pus drains out through the catheter, usually over several days to weeks. Antibiotics are usually used in addition to drainage to prevent the infection from spreading and to help completely eliminate the infection. Laboratory analysis of the pus identifies the infecting organism so that the most effective antibiotic can be selected. It is uncommon for antibiotics to cure an abscess without drainage. If the abscess cannot be reached safely by the needle and catheter, surgical drainage may be necessary. Once the abscess has been drained, the source of the infection is also surgically treated. For example, if the abscess is caused by a perforation (hole) in the colon, doctors usually remove that part of the colon. Maintaining proper nutrition is important. If people are unable to eat because of the abscess or because of the cause of the abscess, they may receive nutrition through a tube (called Tube Feeding ) or a vein (called 