Page "Abscess" Paragraph 12

In North America, after drainage, an abscess cavity is often packed.

However, there is no evidence to support this practice and it may in fact delay healing.

To try to answer this question more definitely, a randomized double-blind study was started in September 2008 and was completed in March 2010.

Interim analysis of data from this study suggests that " wound packing may significantly increase the failure rates.

" A small pilot study has found no benefit from packing of simple cutaneous abscesses.