Hand Infections in Emergency Medicine Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Rohini J Haar, MD; Chief Editor: Rick Kulkarni, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jan 13, 2011
 
 

Differential Diagnoses

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Rohini J Haar, MD  Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University/Bellevue Hospital Center

Rohini J Haar, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Sigma Xi

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Gregory S Johnston, MD  Attending Physician, Beth Israel Medical Center

Gregory S Johnston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Dan Danzl, MD  Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Professor, University of Louisville Hospital

Dan Danzl, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, Kentucky Medical Association, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Eric L Weiss, MD, DTM&H  Director of Stanford Travel Medicine, Medical Director of Stanford Lifeflight, Assistant Professor, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Stanford University School of Medicine

Eric L Weiss, MD, DTM&H is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Medical Association, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Southeastern Surgical Congress, Southern Association for Oncology, Southern Clinical Neurological Society, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD 

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

References

  1. Kanavel AB. Infections of the Hand. 1939;17-410.

  2. Ong YS, Levin LS. Hand infections. Plast Reconstr Surg. Oct 2009;124(4):225e-233e. [Medline].

  3. Kapellen TM, Galler A, Kiess W. Higher frequency of paronychia (nail bed infections) in pediatric and adolescent patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus than in non-diabetic peers. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. Jun 2003;16(5):751-8. [Medline].

  4. Rockwell PG. Acute and chronic paronychia. Am Fam Physician. Mar 15 2001;63(6):1113-6. [Medline].

  5. Bach HG, Steffin B, Chhadia AM, Kovachevich R, Gonzalez MH. Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus hand infections in an urban setting. J Hand Surg [Am]. Mar 2007;32(3):380-3. [Medline].

  6. Wilson PC, Rinker B. The incidence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in community-acquired hand infections. Ann Plast Surg. May 2009;62(5):513-6. [Medline].

  7. [Guideline] Hand hygiene recommendations. In: Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction, JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc. Prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in Massachusetts. Part 1: final recommendations of the Expert Panel. Boston (MA): Massachusetts Department of Public Health; 2008 Jan 31. [Full Text].

  8. Antosia RE, Lyn E. Hand. In: Rosen, ed. Emergency Medicine Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5th ed. 2002:493-535.

  9. Butler, KH. Incision and drainage. In: Roberts JR, Hedges JR, eds. Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine. 4th ed. 2004:739-744.

  10. Daniel CR 3rd, Daniel MP, Daniel J, Sullivan S, Bell FE. Managing simple chronic paronychia and onycholysis with ciclopirox 0.77% and an irritant-avoidance regimen. Cutis. Jan 2004;73(1):81-5. [Medline].

  11. Gill MJ, Arlette J, Buchan K. Herpes simplex virus infection of the hand. A profile of 79 cases. Am J Med. Jan 1988;84(1):89-93. [Medline].

  12. Goldstein EJ, Barones MF, Miller TA. Eikenella corrodens in hand infections. J Hand Surg [Am]. Sep 1983;8(5 Pt 1):563-7. [Medline].

  13. Hausman MR, Lisser SP. Hand infections. Orthop Clin North Am. Jan 1992;23(1):171-85. [Medline].

  14. Siegel DB, Gelberman RH. Infections of the hand. Orthop Clin North Am. Oct 1988;19(4):779-89. [Medline].

  15. Talan DA, Citron DM, Abrahamian FM, Moran GJ, Goldstein EJ. Bacteriologic analysis of infected dog and cat bites. Emergency Medicine Animal Bite Infection Study Group. N Engl J Med. Jan 14 1999;340(2):85-92. [Medline].

  16. Wolanyk DE. 17. Infections. In: Hart RG, Uehara DT, Wagner MJ, eds. Emergency and Primary Care of the Hand. Irving,Tx: The American College of Emergency Physicians; 2001:219-246.

 
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A paronychia can progress to a felon if left untreated.
A herpetic whitlow. Image courtesy of Glen Vaughn, MD.
Paronychia incision and drainage.
 
 
 
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