Suggest Remedies For Red Abscess On The Lower Leg Of A Child

Posted on Sun, 10 Jul 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 10 Jul 2016 Answered on

Mon, 1 Aug 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : Good Day, we just went for a walk with our 2 1/2 year old daughter and noticed what looked like an red absecess with two small prick marks (bite)? It is at least 1/2"...on the other lower leg, she has to red abescess and puss at the top of one. All since last night. She has taken 3 naps today and acts like she has chills but continues to seem normal not lathargic. We are in Brevard, NC. Urgent care is closed on Sundays, so before we rush to the ER, is there something else we need to try beyond the Tylenol we have?Her temperature is 99 under the armpit, and my husband is putting calamine lotion on them.

Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (37 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Possible bacteremia.

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,

I am not so concerned about the local infection as I am that she also has a low grade fever and chills that is coinciding with it. For the infected skin wounds you can put hot compresses on them to help keep the infection in check, but she may have bacteremia at this point, given the chills. So I think it would be reasonable to play it safe and take her in to the ER.

I welcome you to let me know how she is doing after you have taken her in to be seen.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar