Boils are unattractive and painful, but usually easy to treat. It is a purulent inflammation of hair follicles or sebaceous glands and the surrounding tissue caused by bacteria. Thus, boils can theoretically occur in any hairy area, but are most commonly found on the face, neck, armpits, in the pubic area or on the bottom. A special form, which must be treated with great care, are the facial furuncles in the “warning triangle” around the nose. Improper treatment can lead to meningitis.
Definition
“Ubi pus, ibi evacua” – “Where pus, get it out!” This is an old medical saying. But it does not always require the surgical opening of a furuncle.
Sometimes boils empty spontaneously by themselves, but can remain and lead to pressure painful inflammations and, depending on the location, even restrict the function. Sometimes a conservative treatment of the furuncle is also possible. However, this should always be clarified with a doctor.
In any case, the so-called abscess splitting should be performed by a physician. If the furuncle is not yet mature and is expressed, dangerous infections up to blood poisoning can occur. Often success can be achieved by local cooling and immobilization. If the follicles are particularly large and highly inflamed, the doctor may decide to perform surgery, i.e. an abscess opening. Some important points must be considered.
The OP – Preparation
Before the operation it is mandatory to clarify whether the patient has been vaccinated against tetanus. If the last vaccination has elapsed and there is no longer sufficient protection, the vaccination is refreshed. Before the actual operation, the patient is then given a medication to relieve the pain, usually a local anaesthetic by injecting local anaesthetics is sufficient.
This is of course dependent on the localization and size of the furuncle. With a local anesthesia it is not necessary to appear fasting, of course excessive amounts of food and liquid should be avoided beforehand. In case of general anesthesia, the patient has to abstain from food for at least 6 hours and from clear liquids for 2 hours in order to minimize the risks of anesthesia.
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