In this article
- Risk Factors for Carbuncles
- Symptoms of Carbuncles
- Complications of Carbuncles
- Home Treatment for Carbuncles
- Medical Treatments for Carbuncles
Medical Treatments for Carbuncles
See your doctor if a boil or boils do not drain and heal after a few days of home treatment or if you suspect you have a carbuncle. Also, seek medical evaluation for a carbuncle that develops on your face, near your eyes or nose, or on your spine. Also see a doctor for a carbuncle that becomes very large or painful.
Your doctor may cut and drain the carbuncle, and ensure that all the pus has been removed by washing the area with a sterile solution. Some of the pus can be collected and sent to a lab to identify the bacteria causing the infection and check for susceptibility to antibiotics.
If the carbuncle is completely drained, antibiotics are usually unnecessary. But treatment with antibiotics may be necessary in cases such as:
- When MRSA is involved and drainage is incomplete
- There is surrounding soft-tissue infection (cellulitis)
- A person has a weakened immune system
- An infection has spread to other parts of the body
Depending on severity, most carbuncles heal within two to three weeks after medical treatment.