ABSCESS PREVENTION

▪ Chest pains may occur if infection How do you soak/use Avoiding abscesses goes to heart or lungs compresses? • Wash your hands and the injection site. What should I do if I get ▪ Use warm/hot water (that doesn’t burn your skin) • Use alcohol pads and wipe an abscess? ▪ Soak in tub of plain hot water or hot back & forth (rub hard) over ▪ Treat at home with warm soaks water with Epsom salts injection site to remove dirt. only if: ▪ Use hot, wet, clean washcloth and - No red streaks hold on abscess, if abscess cannot • Then use another new alcohol - Skin not hot and puffy be soaked in tub pad for the final cleaning. ▪ Soak abscess 3 to 4 times a day for ▪ Go to a clinic if abscess: 10-15 minutes each time, if possible What is a skin abscess? - Not improving, especially ▪ Cover with a clean dry bandage after after 5-7 days soaking ▪ Pocket of pus - Gets bigger and/or very ▪ soaking/using compresses ▪ Often found at injection sites, but STOP painful when abscess starts draining can be found elsewhere - Is hot and puffy ▪ More likely with Red streaks start spreading skin-popping from the abscess-go ASAP! muscling What about missing a vein ▪ Go to emergency room if: ▪ May occur even after you stop Chest pain antibiotics? injecting High fever, chills ▪ Take all antibiotics, if Infection looks like it is How do you know it’s an spreading fast prescribed, even if you feel better ▪ Take antibiotics after you fix (if abscess? ▪ using heroin)

▪ Pink or reddish lump on skin ▪ Do not take antibiotics with ▪ Tender or painful Warning alcohol, juice, or soda because ▪ Warm or hot to touch they may upset your stomach ▪ Red streaks and/or rapid swelling ▪ Do not shoot into or near an ▪ Do not share antibiotics because abscess indicates infection is spreading someone else’s pills may not cure ▪ Do not squeeze or cut into an your infection abscess yourself - infection ▪ Return to the doctor if your infection How can an abscess make could move into blood, then you feel? heart/lungs is not better after taking antibiotics ▪ Do not leave draining abscesses ▪ Tired or sick uncovered - the drainage is ▪ Feverish, may have chills contagious (continued above)