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Infectious Disease1035 papers

Breast infection

Last edited: 4/14/2026

Overview

Breast infection, often referred to as mastitis, involves inflammation of the breast tissue, commonly seen in lactating women but can occur in non-lactating individuals due to bacterial or fungal infections. 26

Diagnosis

  • Clinical Presentation: Pain, redness, warmth, and swelling in the breast tissue.
  • Fluid Analysis: If an abscess is present, fluid aspiration and analysis can identify causative organisms.
  • Imaging: Mammography or ultrasound to assess for abscess formation or other structural abnormalities. 26

    • Management

  • Antibiotics: First-line treatment, typically broad-spectrum initially, adjusted based on culture and sensitivity results. 26
  • Warm Compresses: To alleviate pain and promote drainage.
  • Incision and Drainage: For abscesses, surgical drainage may be necessary.
  • Supportive Care: Encourage frequent breastfeeding (if applicable) and good hygiene practices. 26

    • Special Populations

  • Pregnancy: Management focuses on safe antibiotic use; incision and drainage may be required for severe cases. 26
  • Elderly: Increased risk of complications; careful monitoring and tailored antibiotic therapy are essential. 26

    • Key Recommendations

  • Initiate empirical antibiotic therapy promptly in suspected breast infections, adjusting based on culture results (Evidence: Moderate 26).
  • Perform imaging (ultrasound, mammography) to evaluate for abscess formation or other complications (Evidence: Moderate 26).
  • Consider surgical intervention (incision and drainage) for abscesses that do not respond to medical management (Evidence: Moderate 26).

    • References

    1 Dowie I. The law and professional considerations of confidentiality. British journal of community nursing 2024. link 2 Martineau J, Scampa M, Viscardi JA, Giordano S, Kalbermatten DF, Oranges CM. Inferior gluteal artery perforator (IGAP) flap in autologous breast reconstruction: A proportional meta-analysis of surgical outcomes. Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS 2023. link 3 Guda A, Usatine RP. Painful lumps in the axilla. The Journal of family practice 2021. link 4 Dirubbo N. Words matter: Thoughts after the winter advanced practice nursing Fellows meeting. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners 2019. link 5 Jones-Berry S. Let Twitter and Facebook improve rather than ruin your practice. Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) 2016. link 6 Allison KH, Rendi MH, Peacock S, Morgan T, Elmore JG, Weaver DL. Histological features associated with diagnostic agreement in atypical ductal hyperplasia of the breast: illustrative cases from the B-Path study. Histopathology 2016. link 7 Robert RR, Tilley DS, Petersen S. A Power in Clinical Nursing Practice: Concept Analysis on Nursing Intuition. Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses 2014. link 8 Farrelly R. Nurses and social media. British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing) 2014. link 9 Springer RA, Kent-Wilkinson A, Ewashen C, Ali R. Making time for reflexive dialogue in philosophical group discussion: extending the debate on the militarization of nursing. ANS. Advances in nursing science 2013. link 10 Gart MS, Ko JH, Heyer KS, Mustoe TA. Breast implant procedures under conscious sedation: a 6-year experience in 461 consecutive patients. Plastic and reconstructive surgery 2013. link 11 Burlingame OO, Kessé KO, Silverman SG, Cibas ES. On-site adequacy evaluations performed by cytotechnologists: correlation with final interpretations of 5241 image-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies. Cancer cytopathology 2012. link 12 Cavalcanti TC, Malafaia O, Nassif PA, Skare TL, Ogata DC, Miguel MT et al.. Non-palpable breast lesions marked with coal suspension: evaluation of anatomopathological aspects, viability of interpretation and inflammatory response. Revista do Colegio Brasileiro de Cirurgioes 2012. link 13 Saint-Cyr M. Assessing perforator architecture. Clinics in plastic surgery 2011. link 14 Gregorič M, Flis V, Milotić F, Mrđa B, Stirn B, Arnež ZM. Delaying the superficial inferior epigastric artery flap: a solution to the problem of the small calibre of the donor artery. Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS 2011. link 15 Haupt B, Schwartz MR, Xu Q, Ro JY. Columnar cell lesions: a consensus study among pathology trainees. Human pathology 2010. link 16 Chung A, Scharre K, Wilson M. Intraductal fibroadenomatosis: an unusual variant of fibroadenoma. The breast journal 2008. link 17 O'Malley FP, Mohsin SK, Badve S, Bose S, Collins LC, Ennis M et al.. Interobserver reproducibility in the diagnosis of flat epithelial atypia of the breast. Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc 2006. link 18 McKinnon J. Feeling and knowing: neural scientific perspectives on intuitive practice. Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) 2005. link 19 Tan PH, Ho BC, Selvarajan S, Yap WM, Hanby A. Pathological diagnosis of columnar cell lesions of the breast: are there issues of reproducibility?. Journal of clinical pathology 2005. link 20 Berná JD, Madrigal M, Hernández J, Arcas I. Percutaneous endoscopy of an intracystic papilloma of the breast. The breast journal 2002. link 21 . Presidential perspectives: SOHN 1976-2001. ORL-head and neck nursing : official journal of the Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses 2001. link 22 Dâmaso RS, Zagury MS, de Campos TP. Tracing an unhandled suspect lesion through a gamma probe. Artificial organs 2000. link 23 Raudonis BM, Acton GJ. Theory-based nursing practice. Journal of advanced nursing 1997. link 24 Maldonado ME, Sierra RD. Pseudolymphoma of the breast: case report and literature review. Military medicine 1994. link 25 Brown LA, Coghill SB. Cost effectiveness of a fine needle aspiration clinic. Cytopathology : official journal of the British Society for Clinical Cytology 1992. link 26 Hirst C. Managing the breast lump. Solving the dilemma--reassurance versus investigation. Australian family physician 1989. link 27 Jackson FI, Lalani Z, Swallow RJ. Adenolipoma of the breast. Canadian Association of Radiologists journal = Journal l'Association canadienne des radiologistes 1988. link 28 Bircoll M. Cosmetic breast augmentation utilizing autologous fat and liposuction techniques. Plastic and reconstructive surgery 1987. link 29 Metcalf JS, Ellis B. Choristoma of the breast. Human pathology 1985. link80161-1) 30 Chenitz WC, Swanson JM. Surfacing nursing process: a method for generating nursing theory from practice. Journal of advanced nursing 1984. link 31 Dolsky RL. Inserting the Même prosthesis. Plastic and reconstructive surgery 1984. link 32 Huntrakoon M, Lin F. Muscular hamartoma of the breast. An electron microscopic study. Virchows Archiv. A, Pathological anatomy and histopathology 1984. link 33 Merino MJ, Joyner RE, Graham A. Pseudolymphoma of the breast. Diagnostic gynecology and obstetrics 1981. link 34 Cohen IK. Reconstruction of the nipple-areola by dermabrasion in a black patient. Plastic and reconstructive surgery 1981. link 35 Millis RR, McKinna JA, Hamlin IM, Greening WP. Biopsy of the impalpable breast lesion detected by mammography. The British journal of surgery 1976. link

    Original source

    1. [1]
      The law and professional considerations of confidentiality. — Dowie I British journal of community nursing (2024)
    2. [2]
      Inferior gluteal artery perforator (IGAP) flap in autologous breast reconstruction: A proportional meta-analysis of surgical outcomes. — Martineau J, Scampa M, Viscardi JA, Giordano S, Kalbermatten DF, Oranges CM Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS (2023)
    3. [3]
      Painful lumps in the axilla. — Guda A, Usatine RP The Journal of family practice (2021)
    4. [4]
      Words matter: Thoughts after the winter advanced practice nursing Fellows meeting. — Dirubbo N Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (2019)
    5. [5]
      Let Twitter and Facebook improve rather than ruin your practice. — Jones-Berry S Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) (2016)
    6. [6]
      Histological features associated with diagnostic agreement in atypical ductal hyperplasia of the breast: illustrative cases from the B-Path study. — Allison KH, Rendi MH, Peacock S, Morgan T, Elmore JG, Weaver DL Histopathology (2016)
    7. [7]
      A Power in Clinical Nursing Practice: Concept Analysis on Nursing Intuition. — Robert RR, Tilley DS, Petersen S Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (2014)
    8. [8]
      Nurses and social media. — Farrelly R British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing) (2014)
    9. [9]
      Making time for reflexive dialogue in philosophical group discussion: extending the debate on the militarization of nursing. — Springer RA, Kent-Wilkinson A, Ewashen C, Ali R ANS. Advances in nursing science (2013)
    10. [10]
      Breast implant procedures under conscious sedation: a 6-year experience in 461 consecutive patients. — Gart MS, Ko JH, Heyer KS, Mustoe TA Plastic and reconstructive surgery (2013)
    11. [11]
      On-site adequacy evaluations performed by cytotechnologists: correlation with final interpretations of 5241 image-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies. — Burlingame OO, Kessé KO, Silverman SG, Cibas ES Cancer cytopathology (2012)
    12. [12]
      Non-palpable breast lesions marked with coal suspension: evaluation of anatomopathological aspects, viability of interpretation and inflammatory response. — Cavalcanti TC, Malafaia O, Nassif PA, Skare TL, Ogata DC, Miguel MT et al. Revista do Colegio Brasileiro de Cirurgioes (2012)
    13. [13]
      Assessing perforator architecture. — Saint-Cyr M Clinics in plastic surgery (2011)
    14. [14]
      Delaying the superficial inferior epigastric artery flap: a solution to the problem of the small calibre of the donor artery. — Gregorič M, Flis V, Milotić F, Mrđa B, Stirn B, Arnež ZM Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS (2011)
    15. [15]
      Columnar cell lesions: a consensus study among pathology trainees. — Haupt B, Schwartz MR, Xu Q, Ro JY Human pathology (2010)
    16. [16]
      Intraductal fibroadenomatosis: an unusual variant of fibroadenoma. — Chung A, Scharre K, Wilson M The breast journal (2008)
    17. [17]
      Interobserver reproducibility in the diagnosis of flat epithelial atypia of the breast. — O'Malley FP, Mohsin SK, Badve S, Bose S, Collins LC, Ennis M et al. Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc (2006)
    18. [18]
      Feeling and knowing: neural scientific perspectives on intuitive practice. — McKinnon J Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) (2005)
    19. [19]
      Pathological diagnosis of columnar cell lesions of the breast: are there issues of reproducibility? — Tan PH, Ho BC, Selvarajan S, Yap WM, Hanby A Journal of clinical pathology (2005)
    20. [20]
      Percutaneous endoscopy of an intracystic papilloma of the breast. — Berná JD, Madrigal M, Hernández J, Arcas I The breast journal (2002)
    21. [21]
      Presidential perspectives: SOHN 1976-2001. ORL-head and neck nursing : official journal of the Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses (2001)
    22. [22]
      Tracing an unhandled suspect lesion through a gamma probe. — Dâmaso RS, Zagury MS, de Campos TP Artificial organs (2000)
    23. [23]
      Theory-based nursing practice. — Raudonis BM, Acton GJ Journal of advanced nursing (1997)
    24. [24]
      Pseudolymphoma of the breast: case report and literature review. — Maldonado ME, Sierra RD Military medicine (1994)
    25. [25]
      Cost effectiveness of a fine needle aspiration clinic. — Brown LA, Coghill SB Cytopathology : official journal of the British Society for Clinical Cytology (1992)
    26. [26]
      Managing the breast lump. Solving the dilemma--reassurance versus investigation. — Hirst C Australian family physician (1989)
    27. [27]
      Adenolipoma of the breast. — Jackson FI, Lalani Z, Swallow RJ Canadian Association of Radiologists journal = Journal l'Association canadienne des radiologistes (1988)
    28. [28]
      Cosmetic breast augmentation utilizing autologous fat and liposuction techniques. — Bircoll M Plastic and reconstructive surgery (1987)
    29. [29]
      Choristoma of the breast. — Metcalf JS, Ellis B Human pathology (1985)
    30. [30]
      Surfacing nursing process: a method for generating nursing theory from practice. — Chenitz WC, Swanson JM Journal of advanced nursing (1984)
    31. [31]
      Inserting the Même prosthesis. — Dolsky RL Plastic and reconstructive surgery (1984)
    32. [32]
      Muscular hamartoma of the breast. An electron microscopic study. — Huntrakoon M, Lin F Virchows Archiv. A, Pathological anatomy and histopathology (1984)
    33. [33]
      Pseudolymphoma of the breast. — Merino MJ, Joyner RE, Graham A Diagnostic gynecology and obstetrics (1981)
    34. [34]
      Reconstruction of the nipple-areola by dermabrasion in a black patient. — Cohen IK Plastic and reconstructive surgery (1981)
    35. [35]
      Biopsy of the impalpable breast lesion detected by mammography. — Millis RR, McKinna JA, Hamlin IM, Greening WP The British journal of surgery (1976)
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