Hi, I m having a difficult time at persuading my friend to go to the ER tonight...Here s the situation. We re both IV drug users, and she has a pretty significantly sized abscess right above her groin. (Ive been told this is a particularly risky area to have one.) She s gassed it almost a week. Yesterday it burst and began draining on its own, and she felt better right away because of the release of pressure. We both thought she might be able to avoid the hospital at that point. But,this morning what was a small hole yesterday has turned into a LARGE wound! I am EXTREMELY concerned, it s a long (over an inch) and slightly wide (width of a pinky finger) hole right above the vagina in the crease next to her thigh...The swelling has gone down but the wound is jaggedy, red and irritated. Still leaking out some pus and a yellowish translucent liquid, resembling pizza grease. Looked inside the hole it seems to be pretty deep...There is also a black hole in there that looks like it leads further in, more infection I m guessing? She won t agree to go to the hospital because she s worried about being admitted and stuck there for five days (this happened to me the time I had an abscess.) She is also apprehensive because we ve both known IV drug users who we re treated VERY VEER POORLY by physicians. PLEASE HELP....if I can reassure her she won t be admitted (I m hopping they d just prescribe her antibiotics and pack her wound and send her home??) she will go tonight. If I CAN T convince her to go, what can I do at home to help her to begin healing?? THANK YOU!!! -Alexandra
,            it sounds that an abscess has burst on its own. any abscess has to be fully drained and dressing has to be done regularly for better healing of the wound. she may require antibiotics also . so now at home you close the wound and make a small dressing. if the wound is small . she will not be admitted . they will treat her as an out patient.hope this explains.with regardsDr.Amarnathfeel free to have any queries to me at