[Therapy of severe hand infections with local penicillin-streptomycin administration]

The primary goal of treatment of severe hand infections (finger joint infection, tenosynovitis, infections of the palm and the dorsum of the hand) is nowadays not only a matter of bringing the infection under control, but also trying to get a good functional result. To reach good results the author regards two steps in treating severe hand infections as indispensable: a) the principle of early operation (the average interval between the first examination in the hospital and surgery was only 0,5 days) and b) the local instillation of antibiotics in high concentration (penicillin and streptomycin). Over a period of three years 187 patients with severe hand infections were treated. 11 (5.8%) patients required a second operation and 5 (2.6%) patients a finger amputation. The functional result was in 85% of cases very good or good and in 15% poor.