7393fc91_SA_Abscess_and_Septra_Reaction__Overview
[Day] Day 9 [Date] May 16th [My Story] I had been taking the antibiotics for 4 days but the abscess was getting bigger (about diameter of an orange). While there was a sore on the skin in the middle of the abscess, it didn't seem it would drain on its own. At the clinic, they opened up the sore a little with tweezers to get a culture and to see if it would get the abscess to drain. While they got some pus for the culture, the now open sore was only draining mildly. Worried that I may have a methicillin-resistant infection, they switched me to Septra (a different class of antibiotic) even though they wouldn't know for sure until the culture came back. One huge complication from this point on was that the open abscess was continually draining bloody pus and dressings had to be applied and changed every 4-6 hours. [Suggestions and Advice] For dressing sores that are draining bloody pus (i.e., more gel-like than liquid), you must use highly-absorbent loose cotton gauze as the first layer. If you use more solid first layer dressings, the pus will not be absorbed by the dressing and make a huge mess. I found that Kendall's Kerlix Bandage Roll worked best for this. Because you will be changing dressings frequently, use soft paper tape sparingly as the adhesive. If you use strong adhesives, the constant changings may cause a rash. [Overview] 
Clinic Follow-Up
MRSA Abscess and Septra Reaction
Overview