HAND INFECTIONS

Urgency of treatment of hand infections Hand infections can cause severe problems that persist even after the infection has resolved, such as stiffness, loss of strength, and even loss of tissues such as skin, nerve and even bone. Thus early and aggressive treatment of hand infections is essential. When seen early, some types of infection can be treated with antibiotics and local rest and soaking. However many infections begin to cause severe problems, even after a day or two, if not treated with antibiotics, surgical drainage, and removal of infected tissues. Any drainage or pus should be sent for laboratory testing to determine the type of bacteria causing the infection and the appropriate antibiotic for treatment.

Herpetic Whitlow Herpetic whitlow is a viral infection of the hand, usually on the fingers, caused by a herpes virus. This is more commonly seen in healthcare workers whose hands are exposed to the saliva of patients carrying herpes. The condition, characterized by small, swollen, painful blood tinged blisters, and sometimes numbness, is typically treated conservatively and typically resolves in several weeks without many after-effects.

Deep space infections There are spaces in between the different layers of structures in the hand which can become infected, even from a small puncture wound. These may affect the thumb area (thenar space), the palm (deep palmar space) or even the web area between the bases of fingers (collarbutton or web space abscess). These require surgical drainage, and they have potential to spread to other areas, even to the wrist and forearm.