LOOP technique effective I&D alternative to I&D with packing for abscess in kids

The lead author of the study is Dr. Jay Ladde, an academic emergency physician working at Orlando Regional Medical Center serving as core faculty and senior associate program director. Dr. Ladde also has the rank professor of emergency medicine for University of Central Florida College of Medicine.

The clinical trial compared the failure rate of incision and drainage (I&D) with LOOP technique, versus I&D with standard packing technique, in adults and children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with subcutaneous abscess. In conclusion, the LOOP and packing techniques were found to have similar failure rates for treatment of subcutaneous abscesses in adults, but the LOOP technique had significantly fewer failures in children. Overall, pain and patient satisfaction were significantly better in patients treated using the LOOP technique.

The authors suggest that with further study, this technique may offer an alternative to this standard regimen in the treatment of uncomplicated skin abscesses in pediatric patients.

For further reference log on to:

Jay Ladde et al, A Randomized Controlled Trial of Novel Loop Drainage Technique Versus Standard Incision and Drainage in the Treatment of Skin Abscesses, Academic Emergency Medicine (2020). 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acem.14106

Journal information: Academic Emergency Medicine