Treatment: Liver Abscess

• Drainage is the mainstay of treatment, but medical management with long courses of antibiotics can be successful.
  • - Empirical therapy is the same as for intraabdominal sepsis and secondary bacterial peritonitis.
  • - Percutaneous drainage tends to fail in cases with multiple, sizable abscesses; with viscous abscess contents that plug the pigtail catheter; with associated disease (e.g., of the biliary tract) requiring surgery; with the presence of yeast; or with lack of response in 4-7 days.