The Abscess Course

What Lies Beneath: Horror Movie Title or Scary Patient Presentation?

When patients present with abscesses, you don’t want to just take a stab at treating them; nor should you turn them away for fear of what might be lurking just beneath the surface of the skin. You owe it to these suffering patients to be proficient, practiced, and confident in your skills as they undergo quick-but-painful procedures at your hands. It’s not often you get to provide such immediate relief, and it’s very gratifying! A purulent pocket of pus is nothing to be scared of, as long as you’re ready, willing, and able.

The Abscess Course prepares you to diagnose and treat all kinds of abscesses, from chalazions to paronychia, anywhere on the body, from head to toe. Six modules and multitudes of close-up, step-by-step videos cover the basics of anesthesia and pain management, incision and drainage, procedures by body system, controversies (to pack or not to pack?), novel techniques, risk management tips, and more. It also includes 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Instructor Patrick O’Malley, MD, who’s practiced in emergency medicine and urgent care, reviews the latest literature to identify evidence-based best practices for abscess management. He presents tried-and-true techniques, as well as a few novel devices, shown to have good outcomes. In his easy-to-follow, peer-to-peer instructional style, Dr. O’Malley also shares practical tips born of nearly 20 years’ experience handling thousands of abscesses with care.

Meet the Instructor

EB Medicine and Patrick O’Malley, MD, developed The Abscess Course to further elevate the level of education available to clinicians working within the urgent care community. Dr. O’Malley is a board-certified emergency physician with nearly 20 years in practice. He has worked in a number of community emergency departments and urgent care clinics of varying sizes and acuity levels. He serves on the board of the College of Urgent Care Medicine and is a founding board member of the Southeast Regional Urgent Care Association. He also is creator of EB Medicine’s The Laceration Course and frequently leads suturing and wound care workshops for the Urgent Care Association and other clinician groups.

This course covers:

What’s included:

With purchase of The Abscess Course, you'll receive a FREE Incision & Drainage Practice Kit in the mail with a custom-designed silicone pad with realistic simulated abscesses, high-quality instruments, and a durable zippered carrying case! ($60.00 value!)

Features and Benefits:

Supplements basic academic training

Sharpens abscess management knowledge, proficiency, practice, and skills

Boosts clinical confidence

Product Details:

Publication Date: April 1, 2024

CME Expiration Date: April 1, 2027

CME Faculty Disclosure: It is the policy of EB Medicine to ensure objectivity, balance, independence, transparency, and scientific rigor in all CME activities. All individuals in a position to control content have disclosed all financial relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies. EB Medicine has assessed all relationships with ineligible companies disclosed, identified those financial relationships deemed relevant, and appropriately mitigated all relevant financial relationships based on each individual’s role(s). Please find disclosure information for this activity below: 

Planners

Faculty

Modules

Welcome & Introduction
Meet your instructor, Patrick O’Malley, MD, and get set for what you’ll learn. (Length: 08:14)
Module 1 – Abscess Basics
In this session, we lay the foundation for the full scope of the course by defining what is/isn’t an abscess, outlining criteria for different types and presentations, and guidelines for diagnosis. You’ll get a list of medical supplies needed and efficiency tips for a low-muss, no-fuss approach to pus. (Length: 16:57)
Module 2 – Anesthesia and Pain Management
If you’ve ever heard yourself say, “this is going to hurt me as much as it hurts you,” to a patient with an abscess, this module is for you. When these patients present, very often you’ll have to add insult to injury to incise and drain their abscess before they’re discharged. Dr. O’Malley details pain control options, from analgesia to local anesthesia to digital and facial nerve blocks. (Length: 30:05)
Module 3 – Incision and Drainage Techniques and Procedures
In this module, Dr. O’Malley cuts to the chase: Any abscess judged to be larger than a certain size must be incised and drained. (Well, with very few exceptions.) Find out what the research reveals. Learn about the advantages of the loop drainage technique, and why it’s becoming the new normal. Then, unzip the Incision & Drainage Practice Kit included with this course to take a stab at it. Take a look at two new devices that show promising early results for favorable outcomes. Finally, unpack a few controversies about procedure and aftercare preferences. (Length: 38:44)
Module 4 – Anatomical Approach
Abscesses can pop up anywhere, from head to toe. For certain treatment modalities, the value is often a matter of location, location, location. Whether a clogged eyelash follicle, a piercing gone wrong, a pain-in-the-butt pilonidal cyst, an ingrown toenail – or any other subcutaneous abscess presentation -- Dr. O’Malley tells you what works where and why. Discover danger zones and please-don’t-miss signs of serious conditions that warrant 9-1-1. (Length: 57:53)
Module 5 – Risk Management and Charting
Risk management is a matter of record. In this session, we’ll address what to include in the patient’s medical record to fully and accurately reflect the medical decision making associated with your diagnosis and treatment of abscesses. Get 11 must-ask abscess-patient history questions. Consider a very long list of red flags to look for (and attest that you did so!). This session presents hallmarks of defensible charts and gives you tips for improving your documentation habits. (Length: 10:27)
Module 6 – Case Studies
Dr. O’Malley closes the course with 6 real-world abscess case studies using a compelling formula (Presentation + Treatment + Disposition + Documentation + Risk Management Pitfalls). Enriched with your new knowledge, this is your opportunity to ask yourself, "What would I do?"… because patients in pain, with abscesses in want of urgent treatment, are guaranteed to come through the doors of your clinic sometime soon. (Length: 33:07)

Meet the Instructor

Patrick O'Malley, MD

EB Medicine and Patrick O’Malley, MD, developed The Abscess Course to further elevate the level of education available to clinicians working within the urgent care community. Dr. O’Malley is a board-certified emergency physician with nearly 20 years in practice. He has worked in a number of community emergency departments and urgent care clinics of varying sizes and acuity levels. He serves on the board of the College of Urgent Care Medicine and is a founding board member of the Southeast Regional Urgent Care Association. He also is creator of EB Medicine’s The Laceration Course and frequently leads suturing and wound care workshops for the Urgent Care Association and other clinician groups.