How long do you treat an isolated bacterial liver abscess which has either undergone percutaneous drainage or for which an indwelling drain is placed?

Until it's gone...

Percutaneous drainage of liver abscesses is, in my experience, less effective than drainage of intra-abdominal abscesses, which isn't very effective. Neither type of abscess isn't, as I explain to other doctors and pts, a water balloon. Liver abscesses are more complicated than ot...

I treat liver abscesses until there is clinical improvement and near resolution on imaging. Generally, once drainage is placed, I do not recommend that patients get re-scanned prior to the drain being pulled unless there is clinical deterioration. It is not unusual for patients to have loculations o...

Usually have drain placed and then use PO antibiotics tailored to susceptibility of organism. Will typically due an initial course timed to repeat imaging (2-3 weeks) to determine whether drain is pulled. Once drain is pulled (because of no ongoing drainage), and if other clinical parameters have no...