Infections of the Hand, injection injuries-Common Upper Extremity Infections and Treatment Principles (AM2015)*Management of Upper Extremity

Common Upper Extremity Infections and Treatment Principles (AM2015)*Management of Upper Extremity

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, Purva Shah discusses the guiding principles and treatment options for hand infections. Hand infections can lead to severe disability, including stiffness, contractures, and amputation. Shah emphasizes that antibiotics alone are often not sufficient and that early diagnosis and surgical intervention are crucial. Key signs to look for include pain, increased temperature, redness, fluctuance, lymphangitis, and lymphadenopathy. Laboratory studies are important but not always reliable. Shah also highlights the importance of recognizing MRSA as a common infecting organism, with MRSA accounting for about 60% of hand infections depending on the hospital profile. Treatment options discussed include excision of necrotic tissue, copious irrigation, gram stain and cultures, and appropriate antibiotic therapy. Shah also addresses specific infections such as cellulitis, peronichia, abscesses, flexor tenosynovitis, deep space infections, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, herpetic whitlow, and animal bites. The video provides important insights for clinicians dealing with hand infections and highlights the evolving challenge of community-acquired MRSA.

Keywords

hand infections

treatment options

MRSA

surgical intervention

diagnosis