Definition:
Abscess is a collection of pus or dead neutrophils that has mount up in a cavity made by the tissue on the basis of an infectious process or other foreign materials.
Diagnosis:
Often, a sample of fluid will be taken from the abscess and tested to see what organism is causing the problem.
Treatment:
Surgical intervention is often necessary for severe and dangerous infections.
Debridement is the medical procedure which involves removal of dead skin tissues around and on the wound surface.
Curettage is the scraping of dead skin cells and tissue to prevent contaminating the healthy cells and tissue close to the abscess.
Administration of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents can reduce the pain and swelling of the wound.
Symptoms and Signs:
The cardinal symptoms and signs of any kind of inflammatory process are redness (rubor), heat (calor), swelling (tumor), pain (dolor) and loss of function. It may occur in any kind of solid tissue but most commonly on skin surface where they may be superficial pustules (boils) or deep skin abscesses.
Causes:
Abscesses occur when an area of tissue becomes infected and the body's immune system tries to fight it. White blood cells drift to the blood vessel walls near the site of infection, accumulate and encourage pus formation as fluid, living and dead white blood cells, dead tissue, and bacteria deposits accumulate.
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