Help with abscess - NHS refusing to drain it

[LostaraYil]

My adult ds has an abscess on the sole of his foot. The pain is extreme and it is clearly infected. He has been to A&E, the first time he was sent away and told he's fine. He saw a GP and got given antibiotics and naproxen. These have not helped. Second time in A&E he was given codeine and told to go back to the GP. The GP prescribed cocodamol. The pain is still awful, and really it needs draining. Has anyone successfully got the NHS to deal with an abscess and if you did, how? He's been in contact with a private surgeon and has a consultation booked for Monday, but really he needs something sooner and on the NHS! In Wales btw.

It would be minor injuries or ED here if he’s given antibiotics a good shot. How long since he got them?

A gp won’t drain an abscess, no equipment, no sterile situation or even stitches in our practice to use! Not possible in a 10 minute appt and not contracted to GP. Also local anaesthetic doesn’t work in acute infected areas.

If I saw a worsening abscess that MAY need drained - I’d tell the patient to go to hospital/MIU/ED depending on set up.

Not all infections can be drained, some need IV abx, some need time, some need theatre to drain them.

This could be sepsis. Go back to A&E. clearly from all the cases ignored no lessons have been learned. Hope your son is better soon and gets decent medical attention

111 send everything inappropriate to Gp.

Usually anything appropriate they put in an ambulance to hospital instead.

3 days is kinda boarderline for abx to improve, I’d suggest minor injuries tomorrow morning if he’s well tonight and you don’t want to go overnight.

He needs

Blood tests
Urine test
IV fluids
Antibiotics (stronger ones)
Lactic acid venous test (arterial blood test)
Oxygen levels

Demand these if he's deteriorating which it sounds like he is as the infection is spreading

Fuck 111
Fuck PALS

Right now go to A&E

I was in A.E myself exactly same thing last week, G.P seen twice antibiotics doing nothing , so went to hospital said I was nausea and feeling very sick feared could be onset of sepsis as poison from abcess not draining, they lanced it omg the pain but relief . The feeling of sickness actually went but a week of brusing and wound site healing , the abcess was not in the best of place either .let's say when I sat it hurt a lot.

Anything could be sepsis, it is a life threatening condition but people bandying around the word sepsis doesn’t help.
he has no temp, no elevated hr and has been seen several time.
should ED drain every infection just incase sepsis develops? And thus risk infection/complications from surgery?
Or safety net, advise review if temp/unwell/worsening redness etc?

I’d suggest more careful use of the word sepsis.

If the patient - the OPs son - if he’s an adult thinks it’s worse then he should go for a review.

If the abscess is worsening and the current antibiotics aren’t helping, I would suggest returning to A&E. Please keep us updated.

Please get him back to A and E tonight, it sounds like it's tracking as others have said. This is potentially very serious, don't delay x

The wide legged walk…..
cold packs are your friend. Sanitary towels from the fridge help!

They don't always want to drain an abscess because it can introduce infection

However he could already be infected

There is a special sepsis department in all hospitals with specialists that will come down asap to look at suspected patients

Ask for one these to see your DS and they will take ive and explain what needs to be tested and done and the procedures for sepsis will have to be followed no matter what

Ask for one these to see your DS and they will take over and explain to everyone else what needs to be tested and done and the procedures for sepsis will have to be followed no matter what

Poor lad, that sounds nasty and yes like it is spreading and needs addressing.

Home remedy for abcesses for horses but i don't seev why the principals wouldn't work for people too: Epson salts (or salt if you can't get them) and warm water soak. Poultice. If it were me and it was obvious where the pus was and it was near enough the surface, I'd go digging on myself with a needle BUT that's not a recommended route!

Is he soaking it in warm salty water ? Draining it is a last resort these days as can cause further issues. Get a bowl with a good handful of salt and let him sit for 20 mins.

Sepsis isn't a word I band about , though in the profession I to have to go through the same procedures as anyone else, sepsis can and is extremely serious , and can develope very quick , antibiotics will keep infections at bay .

My friend died in another hospital recently totally unexpected, they were sending them home and boom dead. There's going to be repercussions because the family are being fobbed off.

Wrexham maelor is bad, but the others aren't much better.

When I had a breast abscess after telephone consultation GP called me in. Red lines. I was put straight onto oral antibiotic but told if the lines hadn't reduced by the next morning to go straight to the hospital.

The pressure won't be helping so hot salty water until the skin softens, and lance it. I've had to do similar myself and the relief after the pressure went down, was immense.

Glad I'm not the only one, it would drive me crazy and I'd be at it with the craft knife!

You can't just demand those
I have HS which causes regular abscesses since I was 12 and I've never had any of that done in my life
They're very reluctant to drain, I've had one done under GA and it was huge but I had it for weeks before they agreed

Just curious, what is the procedure for sepsis that needs to be followed a person went to an and e with an infection ?

I did offer to cut it open myself. My kids thought I was crazy, I thought if I did it it would relieve the pain and maybe force the hospital to do something. He won't let me, don't worry!

Going to try a warm salty soak now and go to a&e in the morning, looks like Friday mornings are relatively quiet times usually.

I recently had an abscess and the antibiotics did work but it took the whole 7 day course before I felt an improvement. I did a lot of hot compress and epsom salt baths at least twice daily. Magnesium sulphate paste or savlon might help draw it to the surface.

Are you a doctor? A specialist in Emergency Medicine? If not, you have no business trying to tell anyone to ignore what could well become sepsis if it isn't already. The oral antibiotics haven't worked - in fact the OP says it is spreading and mentions red tracks increasing. He also needs proper pain control. No-one should be sleepless and rolling on the floor in agony.

I agree with the PP who suggested soaking the foot in hot salted water - as hot as he can stand. This would help the abcess to burst. He definitely needs to go back to A+E as soon as possible with a list of the worsening symptoms, the photos showing the spread of infection, name of ABx, dosage, date started, and a pain score too. Out of 10, how severe it is, to tell the triage nurse.