Hand Infections: Epidemiology and Public Health Burden.

Upper extremity infections are common. Most infections can be effectively treated with minor surgical procedures and/or oral antibiotics; however, inappropriate or delayed care can result in significant, long-term morbidity. The basic principles of treating hand infections were described more than a century ago and most remain relevant today. Immunosuppressant medications, chronic health conditions such as diabetes and human immunodeficiency virus, and public health problems like intravenous drug use, have changed the landscape of hand infections and provide new challenges in treatment.