Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Review Meta Analysis
Systemic antibiotics after incision and drainage of simple abscesses: a meta-analysis.
Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of cutaneous abscesses. While there is general agreement that abscesses should be treated with incision and drainage, it is unclear whether systemic antibiotics should be routinely prescribed. ⋯ When given in addition to incision and drainage, systemic antibiotics do not significantly improve the percentage of patients with complete resolution of their abscesses.