U.S. hand injury-related finger infections requiring emergency department visits, NEISS 2019-2023

BackgroundSevere finger infections requiring emergency department (ED) attention are common occurrences resulting from many common household items.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify U.S. trends and the nature of ED visits due to infected finger injuries using reports in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS).MethodsNEISS data from 2019 to 2023 were analyzed for cases of finger infections. The data were compared by sex, race, location of injury, and year of infection with the type of infection. Chi square analyses and logistic regression tests were conducted.ResultsThere were 1816 infections with a yearly incidence rate of 4.3/100,000. Males had 58.4% of finger infections needing an ED visit; those ages ≥36 years were more likely to have a finger infection (62.5%). The trend for the 5 years was not significant (p = 0.1048). Paronychias were the most common type of finger infection and manicure items were the most common cause of paronychias.ConclusionParonychias continue to be the most prevalent finger infection. Efforts are needed to improve awareness toward prevention and early intervention to reduce finger infection incidence.