Acute Mastitis Etiology

Written by Cui Yu Rong

Breast Surgery

Updated on September 23, 2024

00:00

00:00

Acute mastitis generally refers to lactational mastitis, which can occur at any time during lactation, but is more common in the beginning stages of lactation in primiparous women. The most common causes of acute mastitis are milk stasis and bacterial invasion. Therefore, the prevention of acute mastitis mainly targets these two aspects. Besides enhancing the immune system of the mother, it is crucial to maintain good breastfeeding habits. This includes cleaning the nipples and the baby's mouth before and after feeding, keeping the nipple area clean, minimizing damage to the nipple area, and controlling bacterial invasion.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Lin Yang

Breast Surgery

46sec

home-news-image

Acute Mastitis Symptoms and Treatment

Patients with mastitis often feel pain in the breast, with localized redness, swelling, and fever. As the inflammation progresses, there can be chills, high fever, and increased pulse rate, often accompanied by swelling and tenderness of the lymph nodes on the affected side. A routine blood test can show a significant increase in white blood cells. For treatment, if there is swelling, it is recommended to stop breastfeeding and apply topical Levofloxacin. Blood tests should be checked, and if white blood cell count exceeds 10,000, intravenous antibiotics are advised. If below 10,000, oral anti-inflammatory drugs can be taken for symptomatic treatment. After three days, recheck the blood routine to decide on further symptomatic treatment.

home-news-image

Written by Zhang Wei Wei

Integrative Medicine

1min 32sec

home-news-image

Can acute mastitis continue breastfeeding?

Acute mastitis is an acute suppurative infection, which can be divided into three stages according to its cause and pathological process: acute inflammatory stage, abscess formation stage, and ulceration stage. Corresponding treatments are applied at each stage. During the acute inflammatory phase, antibiotics such as penicillin should be used to control the progression of inflammation. Once an abscess forms, the main measure is to incise and drain pus in a timely manner, while also taking medicine to clear heat and detoxify. In the ulceration stage, proactive dressing changes and wound cleaning are necessary, along with internal use of heat-clearing and detoxifying medications, and decoctions that promote pus drainage. In principle, breastfeeding should be temporarily halted, and a breast pump should be used regularly to extract milk, ensuring smooth milk flow and preventing stasis. Additionally, wearing a supportive bra can help lift the breasts, and moist heat should be applied to the affected area for 20 to 30 minutes, three to four times a day. Afterwards, the nipples should be cleaned with diluted saltwater. (The use of medications should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor.)

home-news-image

Written by Zhang Chao Jie

Breast Surgery

50sec

home-news-image

Acute mastitis infusion for several days

Acute mastitis usually does not require intravenous fluids unless there is an accompanying fever, a significant increase in white blood cells, and obvious local redness, swelling, and pain in the breast. At this time, intravenous antibiotic therapy can be considered, generally for five to seven days, but once the white blood cells normalize and the local acute swelling subsides, consideration can be given to stopping the treatment. Of course, when acute mastitis is complicated by an abscess, the abscess requires separate treatment, usually by a specialist making a small incision or using a thick syringe needle to repeatedly aspirate the pus; the best method is certainly to aspirate the pus through a small incision. In such cases, the duration of intravenous fluid use may be appropriately increased.

home-news-image

Written by Lin Yang

Breast Surgery

41sec

home-news-image

Acute mastitis is caused by what?

Mastitis is generally considered to be caused by the accumulation of milk, which occurs during breastfeeding when the posture or unintentional actions by the child cause damage to the milk ducts, leading to an accumulation of milk within them. Since milk serves as an excellent culture medium, this can lead to bacterial infection. The second point is that if there are cracks or fissures on the nipple, bacteria can infect in reverse, leading to significant infections by Staphylococcus aureus, which can also cause mastitis. The third point concerns a weakened immune system, for example due to mental stress or lack of sleep. These are the main causes of acute mastitis.

home-news-image

Written by Lin Yang

Breast Surgery

1min

home-news-image

Does acute mastitis require daily milk expression?

If acute mastitis is severe, breastfeeding is not advisable, and it is necessary to express milk daily. Prevention of acute mastitis is more important than treatment, especially during breastfeeding periods where it is crucial to keep the nipples clean. Frequently wash them with warm soapy water and clean the nipples before and after breastfeeding with 3% boric acid solution. For those with inverted nipples, gently extract the nipple before cleaning; however, do not use ethanol wipes as ethanol can make the nipple and areola skin brittle, which can lead to cracking. Develop good breastfeeding habits, nurse regularly, and ensure that the milk is thoroughly drawn out each time. If unable to completely draw out the milk, use hand massage to express it or a breast pump. Additionally, do not let the baby sleep with the nipple in their mouth. If there is nipple damage or cracking, stop breastfeeding and use a breast pump to express the milk until the wound heals, and then resume breastfeeding.