Infekte der Hand

Abstract

Delayed or insufficient surgical intervention of hand infections can lead to long periods of being unfit for work as well as severe functional disabilities of the hand. The reasons that surgery is delayed for too long can be due to trivialization of injuries or incorrect primary treatment. In order to avoid such severe complications following hand injuries the same diagnostic procedure must be implemented including examination of the case history must be carried out with patients who present with so-called trivial hand injuries as with patients with severe injuries. The operative planning and techniques are carried out much further than the edges of the assumed infection limits far into the healthy tissue without consideration of possible functional loss or residual defects. Plastic surgery and other reconstructive surgical measures are often subsequently necessary to correct defects. Antibiotic treatment is only implemented after adequate débridement and according to an antibiogram. In addition to sufficient immobilization and strict bed rest, early exercise, physiotherapeutic and ergotherapeutic mobilization are absolutely necessary.