HAND INFECTIONS

Hand and finger infections are mostly caused by injuries such as needles, splinters, or injuries that we don't pay attertion. Hand and fingers are separated by various boundaries. Infections that reach these areas through open injuries or foreign objects cause localized or widespread infections. Infections agents are mostly bacteria, and rarely fungi or viruses. Most of these agents are on the skin of the healthy person's hand and injuries, deterioration in the integrity of the skin due to being constantly wet helps them to move from the surface of the hand to the interior.

Panaris (nail side infection), paronychia (inflammation of the nail root) and felon (inflammation of the pulp-finger touch surface) are the most common soft tissue infections of the fingers and hand.(Figure 1.2)

Infections seen near the nail is frequently observed in persons who always have wet hands, having a recent manicure, biting nails and those who have short nail cutting habits. Finger infections are more frequent in diabetic patients. Besides, tenosynovitis (infection seen through tendon sheath) and abscess formed in various regions of the palm are other frequent soft tissue infections. Infections called osteomyelitis which is seen in hand bones generally develop on fracture basis together with open injuries.

Approach in infections is to try to prevent the presence of germs by antibiotic use; to drain if abcessing is present and to provide local cleaning by frequent medical dressing. In some cases intravenous antibiotic use should be required by hospitalizing. If prevention is not taken and right approach is not performed on time for infections which seem to be simple, they may leave severe sequelae.