Office evaluation and treatment of finger and hand injuries in children

Abstract

Injury is our children's greatest health problem, and pediatricians will frequently see finger and hand injuries in the office and emergency room. Many of these will be fingertip crush injuries, which are quite common in toddlers and are often undertreated. Pediatric finger and wrist fractures and sprains generally do well but require proper diagnosis and treatment. Innocent-looking wounds from glass lacerations may disguise extensive damage to underlying nerves, arteries, and tendons. Advances in microsurgery allow replantation of distal amputations even in young children and infants, although often not without complications. Thermal injuries and animal bites require early and aggressive treatment. As with many pediatric hand injuries, these injuries should be preventable, and the adverse consequences can be minimized with appropriate diagnosis and management.