Risk factors associated with recurrent referral to the emergency room following surgical treatment of Bartholin's gland abscess.

There is no consensus regarding the best surgical modality for the treatment of Bartholin's gland abscess. The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with the recurrent referral of the emergency room (ER) following surgical treatment for a Bartholin's gland abscess. A retrospective cohort study was done. Clinical and microbiological characteristics were retrieved from the patients' hospital records. A univariate analysis was followed using multiple logistic regression model. During the study period, 320 women were managed surgically, of those 54 (37.0%) had had a recurrent referral to the ER. The rate of positive previous cultured abscesses was significantly higher among patients with a recurrent referral to the ER (66.7% vs. 51.3%, value < .05). The mode of a previous abscess drainage (Word catheterisation or marsupialisation) was not associated with recurrent referral to the ER or with recurrent hospitalisation. The possible association between positive cultures and recurrence warrants re-consideration of routine antimicrobial administration for Bartholin's gland abscess.IMPACT STATEMENT A recurrence of a Bartholin's gland abscess following surgical treatment varies greatly and there is no consensus regarding the best surgical modality for treatment. None of the studies have examined a recurrent referral to the emergency room (ER) as a primary outcome. Our study strengthens previous studies and reassures that recurrence is not associated with surgical modality. Specifically, a recurrent referral to the ER and hospitalisation were not found to be associated with surgical modality, both which may be attributed to various reasons other than the recurrence of the abscess. An association was found between positive culture results and a recurrent referral to the ER. The association found that positive results warrant further larger studies in order to determine which of the patients may benefit from antibiotic treatment in addition to the surgical treatment.