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

Finger Infection Overview

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.

Finger Infection Causes

Bacteria cause most of these finger infections. The exception to this is the herpetic whitlow, which is caused by a virus. How the infection starts and is found in a particular location is what makes each specific type of infection unique. Usually some form of trauma is the initial event. This may be a cut, animal bite, or puncture wound.

• Paronychia: The offending bacteria are usually staphylococcal and streptococcal organisms. Rarely, a fungus causes this infection, which usually begins as a hangnail. Often a person will attempt to bite off the piece of nail that is at the corner. This results in an open wound that allows the bacteria found on the skin and the bacteria found in the mouth to infect the wound. The infection can then spread to the surrounding tissue next to the nail and cuticle.
• Felon: This bacterial infection of the finger pad, caused by the same organisms that cause paronychia, is usually the result of a puncture wound. The wound allows the introduction of bacteria deep into the fingertip pad. Because the fingertip has multiple compartments, the infection is contained in this area.
• Herpetic whitlow: The offending viral organism is the herpes simplex virus type I or II. This is the same virus that causes oral or genital herpes infections. People in certain occupations are more at risk for this infection. These include dentists, hygienists, physicians, nurses, or any other person who may have contact with saliva or body fluids that contain the virus. People with oral or genital herpes may also infect their own fingers.
• Cellulitis: The most common causes of this bacterial infection are staphylococcal and streptococcal organisms. This infection is usually the result of an open wound that allows the bacteria to infect the local skin and tissue. The infection can also spread to the hand and fingers by blood flow carrying the organisms.
• Infectious flexor tenosynovitis: This bacterial infection is usually the result of penetrating trauma that introduces bacteria into the deep structures and tendon sheaths, which allows the spread along the tendon and associated sheath.
• Deep space infection: This bacterial infection is usually the result of a puncture wound or deep cut that introduces the bacteria to the deep tissue. The collar button abscess is associated with the web space between the fingers. The deep structures of the hand create many potential compartments for this infection to invade.