Finger Infection

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Medical Author:

Kevin Aston, DO

Coauthor:

Michael Doyle, DO

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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• Finger Infection Overview
• Finger Infection Causes
• Finger Infection Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Finger Infection Diagnosis
• Finger Infection Treatment
• Finger Infection Self-Care at Home
• Finger Infection Medical Treatment
• Finger Infection Follow-up
• Finger Infection Prevention
• Finger Infection Prognosis
• Finger Infection Pictures
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Viewer Comments: Finger Infection - Treatment

Infection of a finger 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.

• Paronychia: A paronychia 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: A felon is an infection of the fingertip. This infection is located in the fingertip pad and soft tissue associated with it.
• Herpetic whitlow: A herpetic whitlow 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: This 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.
• Infectious flexor tenosynovitis: This infection involves the tendon sheaths responsible for flexing or closing the hand. This is also a type of deep space infection, and more frequently occurs in individuals with underlying suppressed immune systems.
• 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.

Must Read Articles Related to Finger Infection

Onychomycosis Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the toenails or fingernails. Onychomycosis causes fingernails or toenails to thicken, discolor, disfigure, and split. At ...learn more >>

Paronychia (Nail Infection) An infection that develops along the edge of the fingernail or toenail is called a paronychia (pear-ah-NIK-ee-ah). Symptoms and signs include redness and swelli...learn more >>

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