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How can you care for your child's skin abscess?
- Apply warm and dry compresses with a warm water bottle 3 or 4 times a day for pain. Keep a cloth between the warm water bottle and your child's skin.
- If the doctor prescribed antibiotics for your child, give them as directed. Do not stop using them just because your child feels better. Your child needs to take the full course of antibiotics.
- Be safe with medicines. Give pain medicines exactly as directed.
- If the doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it as prescribed.
- If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if your child can take an over-the-counter medicine.
- Keep your child's bandage clean and dry. Change the bandage whenever it gets wet or dirty, or at least one time a day.
- If the abscess was packed with gauze:
- Keep follow-up appointments to have the gauze changed or removed. If the doctor instructed you to remove the gauze, follow the instructions you were given for how to remove it.
- After the gauze is removed, soak the area in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes 2 times a day, until the wound closes.
Skin abscess in children: When to call
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- Your child has signs of worsening infection, such as:
- Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Red streaks leading from the infected skin.
- Pus draining from the wound.
- A fever.
Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- Your child does not get better as expected.
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The content above contains general health information provided by Healthwise, Incorporated, and reviewed by its medical experts. This content should not replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Not all treatments or services described are offered as services by us. For recommended treatments, please consult your healthcare provider.