Hand Infections

What it is

Hand infections are common at all ages. Because the hand contains many small compartments, tendon sheaths, and joints, an infection that starts with a small wound can spread quickly. Long-term stiffness or other problems can occur even with prompt treatment.

Common types

• Bite wounds: human and animal bites drive bacteria deep into the tissue, and small punctures such as cat bites carry the highest risk. Animal bites may also need rabies evaluation.
• “Fight bite”: a cut over the knuckle from striking someone's tooth, which can carry bacteria into the joint
• Cellulitis: redness, warmth, and pain of the skin, sometimes with fever
• Deep space infections: abscesses in the palm, the base of the thumb, or the web spaces between fingers
• Felon: a painful, throbbing infection of the fingertip pulp
• Paronychia: infection of the skin around the nail. Acute cases are red, swollen, and tender; chronic cases, often fungal, affect people whose hands are frequently wet.
• Herpetic whitlow: a viral infection causing small, painful blisters, usually healing in several weeks
• MRSA: an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that often looks like a boil and should be treated right away
• Tendon sheath infection: a swollen, red, slightly bent finger that is very painful to straighten, usually needing hospital admission, IV antibiotics, and surgical drainage
• Septic arthritis: infection inside a joint, which needs urgent drainage to protect the cartilage
• Mycobacterial infections: slow-developing infections, for example after a fish-spine puncture or aquarium water exposure
• Necrotizing fasciitis: a rare, life-threatening deep infection with pain out of proportion to how the skin looks. It is an emergency.

Treatment

Hand infections can leave stiffness, weakness, and pain even after they clear, so early, aggressive treatment matters. Some infections caught early respond to antibiotics and wound care. Others need antibiotics combined with surgery to drain the infection and remove dead tissue; a tissue sample can identify the bacteria and which antibiotics will work. Bite wounds and fight bites often need urgent washout, and starting treatment within hours helps protect cartilage, which cannot heal once damaged.

Seek prompt care for a bite, a puncture wound, or redness and swelling that is spreading, especially with fever.