Acute Septic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in a Rock Climber

Introduction: Rock climbing is an increasingly popular sport in the United States. Acute and chronic upper extremity injuries related to rock climbing are frequently reported and include flexor pulley ruptures and hamate stress fractures. Deep space hand infections after indoor rock climbing are a sport-related pathology that has yet to be reported. Our purpose is to describe an acute septic carpal tunnel syndrome following rock climbing at an indoor climbing gym in a patient who required urgent irrigation and debridement. Case Report: A 33-year-old Caucasian male presented with an acute septic carpal tunnel syndrome 4 days after rock climbing at an indoor gym. On physical examination, he exhibited numbness over the fingers, significant tenderness to palpation, and pain with passive range of motion. His inflammatory markers were markedly elevated and deep space hand infection was confirmed with computed tomography scans. The patient was taken for urgent exploration, irrigation and debridement, and carpal tunnel release. Conclusion: We theorize that the patient had an abrasion on the finger or palm that created an entryway for a pathogen. We are unaware of another report of a deep space hand infection associated with rock climbing activities. This case report will hopefully spread awareness of this clinical entity to improve evaluation and prevention of hand infections in rock climbers, as well as providing guidelines for appropriate and timely treatment of the condition. Keywords: Hand surgery, infection, rock climbing.

A Rare Cause of Hand Infection: Streptococcus Constellatus

Hand infections represent common medical and surgical challenges that endanger delicate structures with severe consequences if not promptly addressed. Early identification and management are essential to achieve optimal outcomes. To the best of our knowledge this is the first reported case caused by Streptococcus constellatus, in which a severe periungueal infection evolved rapidly with septic thrombosis of digital vessels and culminated in amputation. This microorganism belongs to a group of commensal bacteria, Streptococcus milleri, that causes dental, peritonsillar and sinus abscesses. When bacteriemia outbursts, distant abscesses may form or endocarditis may ensue. A missed diagnosis and treatment can induce important morbidities, often delayed by the difficult isolation of the agent in the laboratory and its complex mechanisms of antibacterial resistance. This article focus on the importance of identifying serious hand infections requiring urgent or emergent treatment, since delayed or inadequate identification and management can lead to important and permanent deficits.

Is the Preoperative Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Level Predictive of the Severity of Diabetic Hand Infection According to Surgical and Clinical Outcomes?

Objective We purposed to investigate whether preoperative HbA1c level is associated with the severity of surgical treatment in diabetic hand infection cases. Materials and Methods Between December 2015 and October 2018, 102 patients were surgically treated due to diabetic hand infection. Of the patients, 75 who met the criteria for diabetic hand infection were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1, < 8.5% HbA1c level (poorly controlled); and Group 2, 8.5% or higher HbA1c level (uncontrolled). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were recorded. Drainage, VAC, ray/open amputation, and microsurgical reconstruction were performed according to the examination and clinical findings. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The study groups consisted of 41 patients (5 female/36 male; median age 59 years, range 32–68) in Group 1 and 34 patients (6 female/28 male; median age 62 years, range 28–67) in Group 2. The mean follow-up period was 21.14±10.42 months in Group 1 and 16.70±10.19 months in Group 2, which were not significantly different (p>0.05). The most common microbiological pathogen was polymicrobial in both study groups (39% in Group 1 and 41.2% in Group 2). Drainage was the most common surgical procedure in both groups and there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the surgical techniques that were used (p>0.05). Conclusion Although HbA1c level is an important biomarker for monitoring glycemia in diabetic patients, it is not associated with the severity of surgical treatment in diabetic hand infections.

Diabetic Hand Infection: An Emerging Challenge

Background: Hand infection in diabetics is an often ignored but challenging condition. If not addressed effectively, it may result in long term disability, contracture, amputation and even death. Methods: From August 2014 to December 2015, a study was done in our centre, where 49 diabetic hand infection cases were analyzed in two groups, superficial and deep hand infection. Results: Mean age of the patients was 51.63 years. There were 21 superficial infections and 28 deep infections. Cause of infection was unknown or spontaneous in 16 cases, traumatic laceration or crush in 14 patients, following minor prick in 10 cases. Most of the cases were the results of neglected minor wound. Forty-one patients were insulin dependent. Five cases were diagnosed as diabetic at the time of treatment. Four patients were treated conservatively and 45 (92%) cases required operation in the form of incision, drainage and debridement. In 16 (35%) cases, wound was left open and was healed by secondary intention following regular dressing. In five patients, wound was closed secondarily. Partial thickness skin graft was applied in 15 cases. Seven patients were treated with flap coverage. Partial digital or ray amputation were done in 16 cases. All fingers except thumb were amputated in one case and amputation from wrist was done in another patient. Wound swabs were taken, and antibiotics were changed or continued accordingly. But reports of 26 cases were available. No growth was found in four cases, monomicrobial infection was found in 15 patients and polymicrobial in seven cases. Infection resolved with healing in 47 cases. Two patients died during treatment from sepsis, both were insulin dependent, had associated renal failure and from deep infection group. One patient developed severe mental disorder. Conclusions: For diabetic hand infection, early diagnosis and prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics and emergency surgery with extensile incision is crucial. Primary amputation of the part could be life and limb saving.