High-pressure water injection injury to the hand

An 84-year-old man presented with a high-pressure injection injury of the left thumb. The hand-held water gun involved generates less pressure than the grease and paint sprayers usually involved in these injuries. The patient was managed conservatively in the hospital with elevation, observation, and dressing changes. Surgical debridement was not required. This case points out a previously unrecognized hazard of these devices, particularly to older individuals with atrophic skin.