Dr. M.J. Bazos, MD
Patient Handout
BREAST
INFECTION
About Your
Diagnosis
The majority of breast
infections occur after the delivery of a baby when the breasts are actively
producing milk. Breast infections can occur in breast-feeding mothers, or in
women who have just delivered but have chosen not to breast-feed. Breast
infections can occur in women who have not recently delivered, but it is not
very common. Sometimes an infection will occur after injury to the breast.
Breast infections are usually caused by common skin bacteria. Breast infections
occur in approximately 2% of women in their postdelivery period. It often occurs
during the 2–4 weeks after
delivery.
Living With Your
Diagnosis
Breast infections are easy to
recognize. An area of the breast usually becomes red, warm, and very tender, and
fever is present. You may feel more tired than usual as if you have the flu. It
is important that the breast be examined and that treatment not be given over
the phone, because occasionally an abscess will be present. An abscess has to be
drained or it will worsen. It is important that you keep the follow-up visit to
make sure all signs of the infection have resolved because occasionally an
infection will hide a breast cancer. Also, a relatively rare type of breast
cancer can cause symptoms that are similar to an infection. So if the infection
does not clear up as expected, further evaluation should be
considered.
Treatment
Breast
infections are treated with antibiotics for 10 days, and sometimes heat is
recommended. A heating pad can be used or just wrung-out washcloths. If the
breast infection has occurred in a breast-feeding woman, usually it is
recommended that expression of milk be continued by pumping that breast. If a
breast abscess has been diagnosed, the abscess will have to be opened and
drained. Usually, some type of packing is placed into the abscess cavity to
allow it to drain for a few days. You may need to return to the doctor’s
office daily to have the packing changed for a few
days.
The
DOs
• Take all the antibiotics as
prescribed.
• Keep your follow-up
appointment. This is important because occasionally breast cancers can have
symptoms similar to those of breast
infections.
The
DON’Ts
• Don’t stop
the antibiotic early, even if all signs of the infection have gone away. If you
stop the antibiotics early, the infection may
return.
When to Call Your
Doctor
• If the symptoms are not
improving; namely, the redness is not decreasing, the fever is not going away,
and the tenderness is not
decreasing.
• If you are not
tolerating the antibiotics or you are having allergic symptoms. Another
antibiotic can be prescribed.