Recurrent furunculosis is usually staphylococcal. Incision and drainage is the main treatment for an abscess; antibiotics add most where there is surrounding cellulitis, systemic illness or immunosuppression.
Where boils keep recurring, send a swab for culture and sensitivity, consider screening for nasal carriage, and ask about household contacts with similar lesions. Decolonisation works best when the household is treated together, alongside hygiene measures such as not sharing towels and razors.
- Drain the abscess; reserve antibiotics for cellulitis, systemic features or immunosuppression
- Swab recurrent lesions for culture and sensitivity, including resistance patterns
- Ask about household members with boils and consider treating them together
- Advise no shared towels, razors or clothing while decolonising
Why it matters
Repeated antibiotic courses without a carriage plan rarely stop recurrences and add resistance.
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