How To Treat And Prevent Cat Scratch Disease

Draining With A Needle

Although cat scratch disease is usually mild, this isn't true for everyone, and complications can arise. Bacteria often invade the lymph nodes, causing them to swell and feel sore. Sometimes these lymph nodes can fill with pus. When that happens, they need to be aspirated, which means draining them with a needle. This will clear out the pus and relieve much of the swelling, pressure, and pain. The aspiration procedure may also be used as a way of confirming the exact type of infection present in the nodes. Aspiration of the lymph nodes for cat scratch disease is not a routine procedure. It's only recommended for severe swelling and pain. This does not normally occur. Most of the time, lymph node involvement in cat scratch disease is mild and clears up without special treatment.