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Skin and soft tissue abscesses: assessment and management
1Surgery and Anaesthetics, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Huddersfield, England.
Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
|May 28, 2026
Summary
Skin and soft tissue abscesses (SSTAs) require prompt, individualized care beyond simple incision and drainage. Nurses play a key role in refining assessment and management for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Sciences
- Nursing
- Surgical Care
Background:
- Skin and soft tissue abscesses (SSTAs) are common, painful pus collections that can lead to severe complications like sepsis if untreated.
- Current treatment often relies on a standardized incision and drainage approach, which may not be optimal for all cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the etiology, assessment, and management of purulent SSTAs.
- To highlight nursing opportunities for improving patient care through refined assessment and evidence-based interventions.
- To inform nurses about alternative surgical practices for SSTA management.
Main Methods:
- Review of current evidence on SSTA etiology, assessment, and treatment.
- Emphasis on comprehensive history-taking and physical examination.
- Discussion of alternative surgical techniques relevant to nursing practice.
Main Results:
- SSTAs necessitate tailored treatment strategies, moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Accurate assessment of abscess characteristics (size, depth, location) is crucial.
- Nurses can significantly impact patient outcomes by optimizing their assessment and intervention skills.
Conclusions:
- Effective management of SSTAs requires a nuanced approach considering individual patient factors.
- Nurses are integral to providing evidence-based care for SSTAs through enhanced assessment and intervention.
- Awareness of diverse surgical options empowers nurses to advocate for optimal patient care.
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