Procedure prep
Fasting Before Abscess Drainage (Incision & Drainage)
Draining an abscess — a 'incision and drainage' — releases trapped pus so the infection can heal. It's frequently done fairly urgently, under a general or local anesthetic, and the part that surprises people is that the wound is often left open and packed rather than stitched.
Fasting for this procedure
→ Get your exact fasting times with the calculator
Medicines to check
- Blood thinners (aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto) — tell the team; they'll advise. See medications to stop.
- Diabetes medicines & insulin — abscesses are commoner and heal slower with high sugars, so control matters. See diabetes tablets.
- Finish any antibiotics you've been given, and tell the team.
- Blood pressure medicines — the team will say which to take with a sip of water.
When this surgery may be delayed
- This is usually treated promptly rather than delayed, as a spreading infection needs draining
- Very high blood sugar may be brought down first
- If under general anesthetic, eating or drinking outside the fasting window
- Other unstable medical problems the team needs to manage
- Tell staff urgently about spreading redness, fever or feeling very unwell
Reports & documents to carry
- Photo ID and your insurance or hospital paperwork
- A current list of all your medicines, doses, and allergies
- When the abscess started and any antibiotics taken
- Loose clothing that won't rub the area or a dressing
- A ride home if you're having a general anesthetic
What to ask your anesthesia team
- Will this be under local or general anesthetic — and do I need to fast?
- Will the wound be packed and left open, and who changes the dressing?
- Will I need antibiotics as well, and for how long?
- How long will it take to heal, and what should I watch for?
- Which of my medicines do I take or hold?
Your prep checklist
Tick things off as you sort them — saved on this device only, nothing is sent anywhere.
A general guide — your hospital's own instructions always come first.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my abscess wound left open and packed instead of stitched?
An abscess cavity is full of infection, and stitching it closed would trap bacteria and let it build up again. Instead the surgeon leaves it open and often packs it with dressing material, so it drains and heals gradually from the bottom up. A nurse usually changes the packing over the following days.
Will I need antibiotics as well as having it drained?
Draining the pus is the main treatment, and many simple abscesses heal with drainage alone. Antibiotics are added when infection is spreading into surrounding skin, you have a fever, you're diabetic or your immune system is weakened. Your team will decide based on how the infection looks.
Why does my diabetes matter for an abscess?
High blood sugar makes infections more likely, more severe and slower to heal, so getting your sugars under control helps the abscess settle and the wound close. Tell the team you're diabetic, and follow their plan for your medicines and sugar monitoring around the procedure.