After drainage, the patient should be placed on antibiotics and instructed to take sitz baths. Provide for a followup exam within 48 hours. Do not mistake a more posterior perirectal abscess for a Bartholin abscess. The perirectal abscess requires a different treat ment approach. The most common organisms involved in the development of a Bartholin abscess are gonococci, streptococci, Escherichia coli, Proteus and Chlamydia, and often more than one organism is present.
Bilateral infections are more commonly characteristic of gonorrhea.
The Word catheter is a 5 mL balloon on a 5 cm catheter designed to retain itself in the abscess cavity for 4-6 weeks to help insure the development of a wide marsupialized opening for continued drainage, but they seldom stay in place that long. Iodoform or plain ribbon gauze can be inserted into the incised abscess as a substitute. If a wide opening persists, recurrent infections are not likely to occur, but they are common if the stoma closes.