BET 1: Is routine irrigation of a cutaneous abscess necessary?

A short cut review was carried out to establish whether the addition of irrigation of the abscess cavity improved outcomes after incision and drainage of a cutaneous abscess. One paper presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of this paper are tabulated. It is concluded that in adult patients with cutaneous abscesses routine irrigation during incision and drainage does not improve clinical outcomes.