A 38-year-old member asked:
What is a carbuncle?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Ed Friedlanderanswered
Pathology 46 years experience
Staph infection: A skin infection, usually caused by staphylococcus. In the early modern world, a "carbuncle" was a special type of gemstone, and the ugly-but-colorful pus-producing lesion was named for it. These are easy to treat with drainage and antibiotics.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 37-year-old member asked:
Has everyone had a carbuncle?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Morris Westfriedanswered
Dermatology 48 years experience
No: It is common but only a few percent of the population is prone to skin infections that require to drained. Certain individuals are colonized by MRSA and experience repeat infections .Isolated lesions are drained, multiple lesions require antibiotics and preventive measures such as vitamin c and skin cleansers.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
What can I use to drain a carbuncle?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Jeffrey Juchauanswered
Family Medicine 35 years experience
Carbuncle: You should go see your doctor to have him/ her do it using sterile technique and pack it so it can drain properly. You also would benifit from antibiotics.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
How does a carbuncle look?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. M. Christine Leeanswered
Dermatology 30 years experience
Large red bump: Looks like a large red boil or bump with yellow pus coming to a head. Can start very small as a pimple but then get infected and filled with pus and become very large like a golfball.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated May 6, 2019
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