7 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Cutaneous abscesses (boils) are collections of pus or infection in the skin, and are a frequent reason for emergency department visits. The only proven cure for abscesses is cutting them open and allowing the infection to drain, but this procedure is often painful. Currently, the usual method of pain control is to inject a numbing medication (lidocaine) into the site, but this injection itself is often painful and sometimes does not offer full pain relief. Although there has been some research into the use of non-injected numbing agents as another option, no studies have looked at the use of numbing sprays (vapocoolant) in this context specifically. The hypothesis of this study is that numbing spray is as good as injected numbing medication at relieving pain in patients having small abscesses opened and drained. This theory will be tested by taking two groups of patients having small abscesses drained in the Emergency Department, and assigning one group to get a numbing injection, and the other to get a numbing spray. Their levels of pain and satisfaction will be recorded before, during, and after the procedure, and the two groups will be compared.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an under-recognized and debilitating disease. Patients suffer from recurring painful abscesses and scarring in their armpits, under the breasts, groin and other areas of the body. The cause of the disease is still unknown and common treatments are only sometimes effective. Overactivity of the immune system has been associated with HS and molecules that cause inflammation have been found in the skin from people with HS. Current therapies have long-term risks including antibiotic resistance and the investigators aim to find new safe and effective therapies for HS. Hydroxychloroquine is a medication that has been used safely in other diseases for many years. The investigators believe that hydroxychloroquine has the potential to improve HS through multiple mechanisms. Patients enrolled in this study will be treated with hydroxychloroquine for 6 months. The investigators also aim to look at the blood of patients with HS to look for inflammatory molecules that we could possibly target for the treatment of HS. Blood samples will be taken at baseline and following 6 months of treatment.
Superficial skin and soft tissue abscess are frequently managed by opening them up with a procedure called "incision and drainage". It is routine practice in the United States to place packing material inside the abscess cavity after opening them up, in order to promote better wound healing and limit abscess recurrence. However, this practice has never been systematically studied or proven to decrease complications or improve healing. Patients with wound packing usually return to the emergency room or practice setting for multiple "wound checks" and dressing/packing changes which lead to missed days from work or school and utilization of healthcare resources. This procedure can often be painful and may even require conscious sedation (and the risks entailed) especially in children. With rates of superficial skin and soft tissue abscesses on the rise, and emergency room resources being stretched, it is important to determine whether packing wounds is necessary or even advantageous to patients. This study is the first to systematically evaluate the efficacy of wound packing after superficial skin or soft tissue abscess incision and drainage in children. The investigators will be evaluating wound healing, complications, recurrence and pain associated with packing both short and long term. In addition, the investigators will also be evaluating the utility of bedside point-of-care ultrasound use in predicting the presence of pus inside the abscess cavity. This test may be useful to determine whether incision and drainage is necessary for an individual who has a skin infection that is suspicious for an abscess.
The investigators aim to assess whether bacteriostatic saline provides the same level of anesthesia as traditional local anesthesia while reducing pain associated with medication infusion in minor eyelid procedures
The aim of this study is to find a genetic link or family trait connecting persons with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) to each other. As a result, discover the cause and perhaps treatment for Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS).
This study expands upon pilot data for feasibility since May 2011. The study aims to evaluate the effect of rapid test availability on use of targeted spectrum antibiotics for non-MRSA abscesses in ambulatory patients in the Emergency Department (ED). The multi-institutional study will assess the feasibility of providing the GeneXpert® MRSA/SA SSTI assay to the ED and evaluate the impact of delivering the test result to clinicians in real-time on patient management decisions regarding the use of antimicrobial agents. Patients are randomized to standard culture (control arm) or to the GeneXpert® assay plus standard culture.
The primary purpose of this study is to determine if adding bleach baths to routine ways for prevention of Staph infections is helpful. The amount added is a very weak amount. This would provide a relatively inexpensive method to help prevent recurrent skin infections caused by the Staph germ. The investigators will also be studying how often Staphylococcus aureus lives in the nose, throat, and groin area.