The Abscess Course: Learn All You Need to Know About Effectively Handling Abscesses!

How to Diagnose & Treat Patients with Abscesses Who Present in Your Acute-Care Location

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.

This course covers:

Abscess basics
Characteristics of abscesses by anatomical region (live-action videos!)
Urgent versus emergent abscess presentations
When antibiotics alone are indicated (Hint: Not very often)
When to cut (Hint: Frequently)
Why loop drainage may be superior to standard I&D
Extra patient history questions in cases of abscess
Debates and dilemmas re: irrigation, packing, choice of antibiotics, cultures
Documentation Dos and Don’ts
Real-life case studies to lock down your lessons

What’s included:

Engaging, easy-access video modules full of practical tips
A custom-designed Incision & Drainage Practice Kit, complete with realistic simulated abscesses and high-quality instruments
Links to 60+ supplemental resources for elective study and recommended reading
Step-by-step demos (patient encounters + cadaver lab)
Bonus procedural videos, courtesy of Larry Mellick, MD
Audio-only track for easy listening
Printable slide deck for close study and notetaking
A searchable transcript of the instructional voiceover
5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

Features and Benefits:

Supplements basic academic training

This course is organized as a crash-course curriculum, filling in gaps in academic programs with practical education to succeed in UC.
Video modules allow learners to pace themselves and replay as needed to retain knowledge through repetition.

Sharpens abscess management knowledge, proficiency, practice, and skills

The content emphasizes evidence-based education with practical application.
The course is designed to be an engaging, enjoyable training experience full of “sticky” content.
Learners receive resources they can keep and use as needed and methodology/techniques they can hone with practice over time.
Case presentations expose learners to right/wrong decisions with explanation and rationale designed to enhance understanding and sharpen judgment.
A multitude of step-by-step demonstrations give learners a clinician’s-eye-view of the clinical procedures used to treat abscesses.

Boosts clinical confidence

Real-world scenarios challenge and stimulate “What would I do?” clinical impulses and appropriate responses, helping to test clinical decision making and develop clinical judgment.
Education with such practical application has potential to have a positive impact on the learner’s individual performance in practice, as well as the overall success of the clinic/system.
This course employs the “practice makes perfect” principle with expert-guided deconstruction of straightforward and complex patient encounters, clinical challenges, decision points, and documentation options representing real-life practice.

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$279.00

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✨ Back to School Special: Save 20% at checkout with code "Save20". Valid through Sept 30

Enlarge Image

$279.00

ADD TO CART

✨ Back to School Special: Save 20% at checkout! Offer ends Sept 30th.

This course covers:

Abscess basics
Characteristics of abscesses by anatomical region (live-action videos!)
Urgent versus emergent abscess presentations
When antibiotics alone are indicated (Hint: Not very often)
When to cut (Hint: Frequently)
Why loop drainage may be superior to standard I&D
Extra patient history questions in cases of abscess
Debates and dilemmas re: irrigation, packing, choice of antibiotics, cultures
Documentation Dos and Don’ts
Real-life case studies to lock down your lessons

What’s included:

Engaging, easy-access video modules full of practical tips
A custom-designed Incision & Drainage Practice Kit, complete with realistic simulated abscesses and high-quality instruments
Links to 60+ supplemental resources for elective study and recommended reading
Step-by-step demos (patient encounters + cadaver lab)
Bonus procedural videos, courtesy of Larry Mellick, MD
Audio-only track for easy listening
Printable slide deck for close study and notetaking
A searchable transcript of the instructional voiceover
5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

Features and Benefits:

Supplements basic academic training

This course is organized as a crash-course curriculum, filling in gaps in academic programs with practical education to succeed in UC.
Video modules allow learners to pace themselves and replay as needed to retain knowledge through repetition.

Sharpens abscess management knowledge, proficiency, practice, and skills

The content emphasizes evidence-based education with practical application.
The course is designed to be an engaging, enjoyable training experience full of “sticky” content.
Learners receive resources they can keep and use as needed and methodology/techniques they can hone with practice over time.
Case presentations expose learners to right/wrong decisions with explanation and rationale designed to enhance understanding and sharpen judgment.
A multitude of step-by-step demonstrations give learners a clinician’s-eye-view of the clinical procedures used to treat abscesses.

Boosts clinical confidence

Real-world scenarios challenge and stimulate “What would I do?” clinical impulses and appropriate responses, helping to test clinical decision making and develop clinical judgment.
Education with such practical application has potential to have a positive impact on the learner’s individual performance in practice, as well as the overall success of the clinic/system.
This course employs the “practice makes perfect” principle with expert-guided deconstruction of straightforward and complex patient encounters, clinical challenges, decision points, and documentation options representing real-life practice.

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)

Learner's Feedback

"Good stuff, good job."

Edward Fieg, DO

"It was very informative."

Carolyn Huddy, PA-C

"Great course for ED physicians."

Charles Feronti, DO

Meet the Instructor

Patrick O'Malley, MD

Patrick O’Malley, MD is an emergency physician and educator with more than 20 years of experience in emergency and urgent care settings. He earned his medical degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and completed his residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC.

He is the creator of The Laceration Course and The Abscess Course, which are used by urgent care centers, emergency departments, and residency programs across the country. Dr. O’Malley has presented at national conferences and serves as a peer reviewer for Evidence-Based Urgent Care.

Outside of clinical practice, he focuses on innovation, physician entrepreneurship, and healthcare social media.

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

Patrick O’Malley, MD (Course Director):
- Medline Industries (consultant/advisor, consulting fees, royalty or patent beneficiary)
Joseph D. Toscano, MD (Peer Reviewer): Nothing to Disclose

Faculty

Patrick O’Malley, MD (Facilitator):
- Medline Industries (consultant/advisor, consulting fees, royalty or patent beneficiary)
Claude Shackelford, MD (Peer Reviewer): Nothing to Disclose
Cesar Mora Jaramillo, MD (Peer Reviewer): Nothing to Disclose
Suzanne Verity (Content Editor): Nothing to Disclose

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