Ingrown Fingernail

Infected finger or injury to finger/fingers is a common problem. Infection can range from mild to potentially serious. Often these infections start out small and are relatively easy to treat. Failure to properly treat these infections can result in permanent disability or loss of the finger. Early recognition and proper treatment of the following main finger infections will help prevent most of the serious outcomes.

Causes

There are many causes of finger infections such as cuts, pet bites or exposure to toxic material. Their ultimate result is in the form of following disorders.

• Paronychia: It is an infection of the finger that involves the tissue at the edges of the fingernail. This infection is usually superficial and localized to the soft tissue and skin around the fingernail. This is the most common bacterial infection seen in the hand.

• Felon: It is an infection of the fingertip. This infection is located in the fingertip pad and soft tissue associated with it.

• Herpetic whitlow: It is an infection of the fingertip area caused by a virus. This is the most common viral infection of the hand. This infection is often misdiagnosed as a paronychia or felon.

• Cellulitis: It is a superficial infection of the skin and underlying tissue. It is usually on the surface and does not involve deeper structures of the hand or finger.

• Flexor tenosynovitis: It is an infection that involves the tendon sheaths responsible for flexing or closing the hand. This is also a type of deep space infection.

• Deep space infection: This is an infection of one or several deep structures of the hand or fingers, including the tendons, blood vessels, and muscles. Infection may involve one or more of these structures. A collar button abscess is such an infection when it is located in the web space of the fingers.

Finger Infection Treatment

Self-Care at Home

• Because finger infections have the potential to become severe, home care is limited. A very minor infection may be managed at home if you have no other complicating medical illness, such as diabetes. All of the other infections require urgent evaluation and treatment by a doctor. Because delay in treatment may result in disability or loss of the finger, you should not hesitate to obtain medical care.

• A small, simple infection may respond to frequent warm water soaks and elevation of the hand. However, if no improvement is noticed in 1-2 days, you should see your doctor at once.

Medical Treatment

The mandatory treatment for finger infections is giving suitable antibiotics to patient and proper bandage of the wounded area on the finger. The wound intensity varies in every case. So the treatment ranges from a simple bandage to an extensive surgery to clean up the contagious puss as much as possible.

The medical treatment prescribed for the above mention infections according to skin specialists is as:

• Paronychia: Occasionally the treatment is just the cleaning of the wounds. For any complication, the doctor might bandage the wound with a proper antiseptic

• Felon: Mostly incision is advised by the doctor which is the only solution for this type of infection

• Herpetic whitlow: Antiviral shortens the duration of illness. Pain killers often needed. The wound must be properly protected to prevent a secondary bacterial infection and to prevent you from infecting other sites on your body or other people

• Cellulitis: Contagious so proper treatment is most cases is given in hospital

• Flexor tenosynovitis: This is a surgical infection. Proper care is requires after the surgery to avoid bacterial re attack

• Deep space infections: This is also a surgical situation as in fluxor case

Prevention

Common sense safety practices will help prevent many of the finger wounds that become a problem. Simple things such as wearing protective work gloves may prevent injury. Wearing latex or vinyl gloves is mandatory if possible exposure to bodily fluids is expected. Avoid chewing on your nails, and wash your hands as needed. Seek early medical attention before an infection is present.

When to Seek Medical Care

The key to preventing disability and possible loss of the finger is early and appropriate treatment. If any signs and symptoms are present, you should contact your doctor at once.

If you have signs or symptoms of a felon, cellulitis, flexor tenosynovitis, or deep space infection, you should seek emergency care at once to avoid complications from an infected finger.

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Introduction

Infected finger is generally an infection on the tips or entire finger. Infection is usually not dangerous. It is a common occurrence when there is a cut or little scratch on the finger. However, early diagnosis and proper treatment reduces the chances of infection and further consequences. There are many types of finger infections based on their parent bacteria and originating locations.    

Causes

In majority of cases, the infection on a wounded finger is the activity of a virus. If the cut on a finger is not properly washed or bandaged, it provides an opportunity to the bacterial organisms to lay their eggs in the flesh. Consequently that area becomes infected and results into swelling of the finger.  Bad hygiene condition is the main cause of infection on finger or on any part of the body.

Symptoms

Each of the main finger infections has specific signs and symptoms that make identification unique and can sometimes cause confusion if not properly evaluated.

Some of the finger infections, their types and their corresponding bacteria are given below:

• Skin Necrosis

This is when the tissue in and around the infected area starts to die. This happens because there is not enough blood getting through to the tissue. The skin on your fingertip will appear much darker and may turn a purple or black color. This can lead to scarring of the fingertip.

• Septic Arthritis

The infection spreads to your finger joint. This can cause your finger joint to become painful and swollen.

• Tenosynovitis

This is when the infection spreads to the sheath that surrounds the tendons in your finger. It causes pain, swelling and tenderness around the affected area. It is the most serious complication of a finger pulp infection because the infection can keep on spreading through the sheath up the hand and arm.

• Compartment syndrome

The swelling compresses the nerves and blood vessels within your fingertip. This can lead to poor blood flow and nerve and muscle damage.

Complications

• People with less infection are given easy treatments than those who have severe infections.

• People with diabetes have to be given special treatment as their cuts and wounds have lesser chances to be healed quickly.

• People with blood vessel disorder also be treated differently.

Treatment

Self treatment at home

As finger infections have the possibility to become severe, so their treatment at home is very limited. A simple cut or infection can be easily cleaned at home unless the person is a diabetic. In that case and when the infected area is very large, immediate appointment with the doctor should be made to avoid further infection or finger loss as well.  A small, simple infection may peel off in frequent warm water soaks and elevation of the hand. However, if no improvement is noticed in 1-2 days, you should see your doctor at once.

Medical treatment

The basic treatment for finger infections is antibiotics and proper wound care. The proper wound care varies for each of the different infections. This can range from a simple cut and drainage of the wound to a general surgical examination of the wound to remove as much infected material as possible.

Some of the infections can be treated as an outpatient, but may require inpatient treatment and IV antibiotics. Because the organisms that cause these infections are similar, many of the same types of antibiotics may be used to provide healing of an infected finger.

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Introduction

An infected finger is an infection in the fleshy part of your finger (mostly tips and finger palm).  The infection in your fingertip can often start from an opening in your skin, for example if you get a cut or splinter. This happens to about half of people with a finger infection. Finger infection is a common everyday scenario but if not treated properly can result in serious consequences.

Symptoms of Finger Infection

The symptoms will be mostly in tips but can spread all over the finger:

• Tightness or pricking sensation

• Redness

• Swelling

• Feeling hot and tender to touch

• Pus filled blister

• Pain (feels like a current flowing through the finger)

Complications of Finger Infection

The main complication of a finger infection is the pus infiltration into the lymph of the finger resulting into the damage of living cells near the infection. The infected area slowly becomes blackish (skin necrosis) which is the result of dead cells.

The complications other than above are listed below:

• The tissue in and around the infected area starts to die. This happens because there isn’t enough blood getting through to the tissue. The skin on your fingertip will appear much darker and may turn a purple or black color.

• The infection spreads to your finger joint. This can cause your finger joint to become painful and swollen.

• This is when the infection spreads to the sheath that surrounds the tendons in your finger. It causes pain, swelling and tenderness around the affected area.

• The swelling compresses the nerves and blood vessels within your fingertip. This can lead to poor blood flow and nerve and muscle contraction and damage.

Treatment of Infected Finger

Any disease related to skin should be given immediate and full attention. Little infections when not treated properly converts into contagious diseases.  A simple home remedy to remove germs from the infected area and to give relief to the pain caused by the infection is very easy. First of all clean your finger with an antibiotic solution to remove the germs from the skin.  Soak your finger in warm water pot. This will reduce the swelling around the finger and will lessen the pain of the patient.

In this process some pus will come out of the infection which is a good sign. Clean that with a cotton material and apply a medicated bandage on the infection. Once the infection is cleaned the patient will also have some relief of the pain. But this is not the complete treatment. Do see your doctor or a skin specialist as early as possible for proper treatment of an infected finger.

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Overview

Infected finger or fingers is a common skin problem. Infection can range from mild to potentially serious. Often these infections start out small and are relatively easy to treat. Failure to properly treat these infections can result in permanent disability or loss of the finger.

Early recognition and proper treatment of the following main finger infections will help prevent most of the serious outcomes.

Sign & Symptoms

Infection occurs on the soft tissues of the finger which results in swelling and pain. Infection at the finger tips usually under finger pads and lymph of the tissue.  The tendons of the finger tissues results in the stiffness of the fingers.  Ultimately, an infection in the blood vessels will affect the finger tissues.  There may also be burning in the finger mid spaces of the finger, itching in the skin and scarring of the fingertip.

Causes

Infections result after a small cut in which bacteria start replicating. Only one type of finger infection is caused by a virus which is herpetic whitlow. In every type of finger infection, its occurrence and its style of increment makes it a unique infection. This may be a result of an unwanted cut, pet bite, or wounds from pointed object (nails or knife).

Treatment

There is a likely chance of the pus growing inside the infection to get enter into the blood stream and may cause blood clotting. Luckily it’s very easy to treat and cured at home with a little care and using hygienic instruments. Supplies that are required are:

• Medicated Bandage

• Any good antiseptic lotion

• New and clean cotton

• Distilled water preferably hot

• Medicated powder

• Payodine (Iodine Solution)

First, boil the water in a sterilized pot with a few drops of Payodine solution.  Soak your infected finger in it for at least 10 to 15 minutes.  The Iodine solution will soften your finger and the pus will come out from your finger.  Then clear the pus with the tissue and repeat the procedure.  You may need to do this procedure several times to remove the entire pus.

Now clean the finger using an antiseptic lotion so that infection does not form in the finger.  Once dry, pour some medicated powder on the finger.  Then apply the medicated bandage on the finger.  The infected finger will be fully cured in 2 to 3 days.  

If no improvement, immediately report to your nearest skin specialist.

These remedies are just as a first aid to the infected finger.  These can only reduce the pain and further expansion of the infection. A skin specialist is the right person that can give the effective treatment to the patient with an infected finger.

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