Mehiläinen Töölö · Helsinki
Abscess assessment and drainage
A painful red lump may be an abscess. I examine it and, when suitable, drain it under local anaesthetic during the appointment.
Care route
Where should I seek care?
This is not an emergency department. At the appointment the aim is to examine the situation and decide the next sensible step: self-care, medication, a minor procedure, tests or referral.
Book an appointment
- A local painful or discharging skin lump.
- Mention diabetes, poor circulation or immunosuppressive medicines so they can be considered in your treatment.
Seek urgent assessment
- Rapidly spreading redness, fever or worsening general condition.
- Severe or rapidly worsening pain, especially in the central face, genital area or around the anus.
Diabetes, immune suppression or extensive infection lowers the threshold for urgent assessment; hospital treatment may be needed.
Call 116117 if you are unsure where to go or cannot get timely care. Do not wait for an appointment if your condition worsens.
Call 112
For severe breathing difficulty, unconsciousness, new stroke symptoms or another life-threatening situation.
During the visit
What is assessed during the visit?
- whether this is a drainable abscess or another finding
- whether drainage, irrigation, sampling or further care is needed
- whether antibiotics are needed, based on risk factors and overall condition
- aftercare, dressings and when reassessment is needed
Clinical decision
Drainage or another treatment?
I assess whether there is a collection of pus that needs drainage. Larger abscesses may need repeated dressings or nurse appointments, and healing may take weeks. We discuss the expected aftercare before drainage.
Booking details
What is useful to mention about a suspected abscess?
- where the lump is, how long it has been there and whether it has grown quickly
- whether it has started to discharge pus or the redness is spreading
- whether there is fever, severe pain or clear worsening of general condition
- whether you have diabetes, immune-suppressing treatment or antibiotics already started
If the finding does not feel like a clear pus pocket, drainage may not help. The first decision is what exactly is being treated.
After the visit
Your treatment and follow-up
Aftercare following abscess drainage — read and print
Contact Mehiläinen Töölö if your care instructions are unclear.
Sources
What this page is based on
Website content: Markus Huotari, general practitioner. The sources below provide background information.