1111 Shifting the Paradigm of Abscess Treatment – From Theatre to Clinic

Aim Treatment of skin and soft tissue abscesses forms a substantial part of the emergency general surgery workload. Abscesses account for approximately 2% of presentations to Accident and Emergency, with 0.9% of patients requiring surgical intervention. Incision and drainage is often performed in theatre and may necessitate admission to hospital, impacting bed space and theatre availability. This study aims to identify if the introduction of a clinic-based abscess service could reduce the number of abscess drainages in theatre without compromise to clinical outcomes. Method Retrospective data was collected for patients undergoing abscess treatment at Musgrove Park Hospital (Taunton) in September 2019. Subsequently, a Nurse-led abscess drainage pathway was initiated in Emergency Surgery Ambulatory Clinic (ESAC) encompassing initial assessment and drainage at the bedside. Prospective data was then collected for abscesses drained in theatre and ESAC during September 2020 and compared with data from 2019. Result 22 abscess drainages were performed in September 2019 vs 25 in September 2020. 8 cases were carried out in theatre during September 2020, with the rest being treated in ESAC. Of those who were treated in clinic (n = 17), admission was prevented in 16 patients. Readmission rates were similar between ESAC (16%) and theatre (18.1%). Conclusions A clinic-based abscess service is achievable and prevents unnecessary use of theatres and hospital admissions, with comparable re-presentation rates. A nurse led approach also relieves pressure on Doctors during busy surgical on calls. Nonetheless, a larger data set would be needed to consolidate the findings from this study.