Review of Community-Referred Hand Infections

Purpose : A retrospective review is presented of 76 patients with infections of the hand, referred from the community and admitted to our plastic surgery unit for treatment over a 30 month period. Methods : Retrospective chart review and review of the pertinent English-language literature. Results : The majority of the patients (82%) were male. Most incidents leading to infection happened at home (47%). All except two patients presented with cellulitis, and 55% had abscess formation. The most common site of infection was the digits followed by the dorsum of the hand. The average time to operative drainage was 6 h. Only seven patients (9%) were managed non-operatively. The mean duration of follow up was 51 days. Age and positive cultures were good predictors of the hospital stay and the number of operative procedures, respectively. Conclusions : Hand infections are surgical emergencies; correct and prompt management thus is essential. A quick and effective regimen for treatment yielded good results.