The MAGIC study is the flagship research project of the White Rose Surgical Collaborative for 2022-2023.
Conducted across 54 NHS hospitals in the UK, this multicentre study examined the management of subcutaneous abscesses, a common condition in emergency general surgery.
A total of 1,631 cases were included. The findings revealed 83% of patients underwent surgical drainage, with 65% treated under general anaesthesia, 84% receiving cavity packing, and 52% prescribed postoperative antibiotics.
The study found that 5% of patients experienced recurrence within 60 days, with an increased risk associated with higher BMI and hidradenitis suppurativa. Importantly, the use of local anaesthesia and withholding postoperative antibiotics did not increase recurrence rates.
Additionally, 16% of patients reattended hospital within this timeframe, again with no increased risk linked to the use of local anaesthesia or the withholding of postoperative antibiotics.
These results, delivered by surgical trainees, highlight wide variability in the management of acute subcutaneous abscesses across the UK. They challenge the need for routine use of general anaesthesia for surgical drainage and indicate that postoperative antibiotics may not provide clear benefits.
Management of subcutaneous abscesses: prospective cross-sectional study (MAGIC)
➡️ https://t.co/1NHe9qEXyHThis study reveals wide variation in the management of acute subcutaneous abscesses in the UK.
– Disparity in the choice of anaesthesia, the role of cavity packing, and… pic.twitter.com/kzTfttGmvt— BJS (@BJSurgery) August 27, 2024