Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Needle Aspiration and Open Incision and Drainage for Cutaneous Abscesses

Inclusion Criteria: Patients presenting to the Civic Campus emergency department of The Ottawa Hospital with an abscess less than 5 cm diameter, as judged by the attending emergency physician (measurement with tape measure for diameter) between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm will be approached for possible enrollment. Ultrasound will be used to assess the appropriate exclusion criteria. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients under the age of 18 years, * Patients with a Glasgow coma scale score of \<15 (i.e. not completely alert and oriented), * Patients suspected of having necrotising fascitis, * Patients with hemodynamic instability (defined as SBP \<90, and/or HR \>110), * Patients admitted to hospital, * Patients who are neither French nor English speaking, * Patients who are not available for telephone follow-up (i.e. homeless). * Ultrasound image demonstrates that the abscess is not compressible (generally indicates that the contents of the cyst includes solids, which would not be amenable to aspiration) * Ultrasound demonstrates that there is no abscess to manage, * Patients with perianal abscesses who have either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis or known perirectal fistula, * Patients with recurrent abscesses in the same location or abscesses present for more than 2 weeks * Patients with complex abscesses including deep tissue, sensitive body part involvement which includes: ears, eyes, lacrimal, orbital, submandibular, mouth, peritonsillar, and Bartholin's gland. * Patients with renal impairment, diabetes, immunocompromised (as these patients are at risk of becoming more ill if an abscess were able to grow).