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Common bacterial hand infections include paronychia (see Nail Disorders: Paronychia), infected bite wounds, felon, palm abscess, and infectious flexor tenosynovitis. Herpetic whitlow is a viral hand infection. Infections often begin with constant, intense, throbbing pain and are usually diagnosed by physical examination. X-rays are taken in some infections (eg, bite wounds, infectious flexor tenosynovitis) to detect occult foreign bodies but may not detect small or radiolucent objects.
Treatment
The increased incidence of community-acquired and nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) should be taken into consideration. Uncomplicated MRSA infections are best treated with incision and drainage. If there is a high incidence of MRSA and the infection is severe, hospitalization and vancomycin or daptomycin (for IV therapy) are recommended, as is consultation with an infectious disease specialist. For outpatients, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, doxycycline, or linezolid (for oral therapy) can be given. Once culture and sensitivity results rule out MRSA, nafcillin, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, or a 1st- or 2nd-generation cephalosporin can be given.
Infected Bite Wounds
A small puncture wound, particularly from a human or cat bite, may involve significant injury to the tendon, joint capsule, or articular cartilage. The most common cause of human bites is a tooth-induced injury to the metacarpophalangeal joint as a result of a punch to the mouth (clenched fist injury). The oral flora of humans includes Eikenella corrodens, staphylococci, streptococci, and anaerobes. Patients with clenched fist injuries tend to wait hours or days after the wound occurs before seeking medical attention, which increases the severity of the infection. Animal bites usually contain multiple potential pathogens, including Pasteurella multocida (particularly in cat bites), staphylococci, streptococci, and anaerobes. Serious complications include infectious arthritis and osteomyelitis.
Diagnosis
Erythema and pain localized to the bite suggest infection. Tenderness along the course of a tendon suggests spread to the tendon sheath. Pain worsening significantly with motion suggests infection of a joint or tendon sheath.
The diagnosis is clinical, but if the skin is broken, x-rays should be taken to detect fracture or teeth or other foreign bodies that could be a nidus of continuing infection.
Treatment
Treatment includes surgical debridement, with the wound left open, and antibiotics. For outpatient treatment, empiric antibiotics usually include monotherapy with amoxicillin/clavulanate 500 mg po tid or combined therapy with a penicillin 500 mg po qid (for E. corrodens, P. multocida, streptococci, and anaerobes) plus a cephalosporin (eg, cephalexin 500 mg po qid) or semisynthetic penicillin (eg, dicloxacillin 500 mg po qid) for staphylococci. In areas where MRSA is prevalent, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, doxycycline, or linezolid should be used instead of a cephalosporin. If the patient is allergic to penicillin, clindamycin 300 mg po q 6 h can be used. The hand should be splinted in the functional position and elevated (see Fig. 3: Hand Disorders: Splint in the functional position (20° wrist extension, 60° metacarpophalangeal joint flexion, slight interphalangeal joint flexion). ).
Noninfected bites may require surgical debridement and prophylaxis with 50% of the dose of antibiotic used to treat infected wounds.
Felon
A felon is an infection of the pulp space of the fingertip, usually with staphylococci and streptococci.
The most common site is the distal pulp, which may be involved centrally, laterally, or apically. The septa between pulp spaces ordinarily limit the spread of infection, resulting in an abscess, which creates pressure and necrosis of adjacent tissues. The underlying bone, joint, or flexor tendons may become infected. There is intense throbbing pain and a swollen, warm, extremely tender pulp. Treatment involves prompt incision and drainage (using a midlateral incision that adequately divides the fibrous septa) and oral antibiotic therapy. Empiric treatment with a cephalosporin is adequate. In areas where MRSA is prevalent, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, doxycycline, or linezolid should be used instead of a cephalosporin.
Palm Abscess
A palm abscess is a purulent infection of deep spaces in the palm, typically with staphylococci or streptococci.
Palm abscesses can include collar-button abscesses, thenar space abscesses, and midpalmar space abscesses. An abscess can occur in any of the deep palmar compartments and spread between the metacarpals, from the midpalmar space to the dorsum, manifesting as an infection on the dorsum of the hand. Intense throbbing pain occurs with swelling and severe tenderness on palpation. X-rays should be taken to detect occult foreign bodies. Incision and drainage in the operating room (with cultures), with care to avoid the many important anatomic structures, and antibiotics (eg, a cephalosporin) are required. In areas where MRSA is prevalent, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, doxycycline, or linezolid should be used instead of a cephalosporin.
Infectious Flexor Tenosynovitis
Infectious flexor tenosynovitis is an acute infection within the flexor tendon sheath.
The usual cause is a penetration and bacterial inoculation of the sheath.
Diagnosis
Infectious flexor tenosynovitis causes Kanavel's signs:
X-rays should be taken to detect occult foreign bodies. Acute calcific tendinitis and RA can restrict motion and cause pain in the tendon sheath but can usually be differentiated from infectious flexor tenosynovitis by a more gradual onset and the absence of some of Kanavel's signs. Disseminated gonococcal infection can cause tenosynovitis but often involves multiple joints (particularly those of the wrists, fingers, ankles, and toes), and patients often have recent fever, rash, polyarthralgias, and often risk factors for an STD. Infection of the tendon sheath may involve atypical mycobacteria, but these infections are usually indolent and chronic.
Treatment
Treatment is surgical drainage (eg, irrigation of the tendon sheath by inserting a cannula into one end and allowing the irrigating fluid to pass along the tendon sheath to the other end). Antibiotic therapy (beginning empirically with a cephalosporin) and cultures are also required. In areas where MRSA is prevalent, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, doxycycline, or linezolid should be used instead of a cephalosporin.
Herpetic Whitlow
Herpetic whitlow is a cutaneous infection of the distal aspect of the finger caused by herpes simplex virus.
Herpetic whitlow may cause intense pain. The digital pulp is not very tense. Vesicles develop on the volar or dorsal distal phalanx but often not until 2 to 3 days after pain begins. The intense pain can simulate a felon, but herpetic whitlow can usually be differentiated by the absence of tenseness in the pulp or the presence of vesicles. The condition is self-limited but may recur. Incision and drainage are contraindicated. Topical acyclovir 5% can shorten the duration of a first episode. Oral acyclovir (800 mg po bid) may prevent recurrences if given immediately after onset of recurrent symptoms. Open or draining vesicles should be covered to prevent transmission.
Last full review/revision March 2008 by David R. Steinberg, MD
Content last modified February 2012
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