abscess and diabetes

[roxysteelsie]

hi there, my friend is type 2 diabetes. he has developed an abscess on his leg. Any idea how this should be treated? thanks

[banyaikris]

Hi, I had two big abscesses recently. One on the belly one under armpit. Both were surgically removed at a&e day care. I was given antibiotics pre ops and after op, the doctors were brilliant. I had to revisit the day care every other day for post op clean, stitches, removal of stitches and final check. The ops itself last 20 min with local anaesthesia. I do have scars but does not bother me as the pain from the boils were intolerable.

[Dr Alison Layton]

Unfortunately abscesses are more common in people with diabetes. The first thing is to see the GP and they will do a skin swab to check if there is any infection and will advise on whether antibiotics are required. There are a few unusual skin lesions that can occur in diabetes and if the GP is not happy with the appearance they will refer your friend for an opinion with a consultant at the hospital. Occasionally an abscess will need to be treated surgically. I hope this helps.