High-pressure injection injuries of the hand: review of 25 patients managed by open wound technique.

This article reviews the outcome of injury of the hand in 25 patients treated at our institution by the open wound technique: wide débridement, drainage, open packing, and delayed closure. The results obtained are superior to those reported in the literature: Among the patients, 84% of the involved hands or fingers were salvaged, 64% had essentially normal hand function at the time of final follow-up, and 92% were able to return to their previous jobs. We propose that aggressive treatment by the open wound technique improves the outcome of high-pressure injection injuries of the hand.