[Uston]

From my MD friend and occasional OOT lurker...

"Antibiotics are often of little use because the pocket of pus does not have any blood vessels going directly to it, so the medication never reaches the infection. Now your only job is to keep it clean and dry. You don't need to use anything special, just gentle soap and water. I'd clean it twice a day once the packing is out. Using something like peroxide or alcohol is only going to punish yourself more. Definitely loosen up any dried blood around the packing prior to removing it (and wash your hands well before touching anything). FYI, it's likely gonna hurt like hell when you remove the packing for the first time. If the crater underneath is relatively small you don't need to repack it. However, if you're left with a deep or gaping hole, it will need to be packed again, thus why the doctors told you to return two days later. If possible, go to an urgent care center wherever you are right now. They are quicker waits than emergency rooms but will still be able to handle this kind of situation. The idea of the packing is to do what antibiotics can't, and wick out the infection from the inside to the outside. In a pinch you could always buy some sterile gauze and try to gently repack it yourself, by making sure some of the gauze gets into the hole, and that some is on the outside. Wrap it all in a clean, dry bandage. If the skin around your leg gets very red and warm or if you get a fever/chills/nausea/vomiting, go see a doctor as the infection is spreading. Enjoy!"