Medical Disclaimer
The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
🚨Emergency? If you have severe symptoms, difficulty breathing, or think it's an emergency, call 000 immediately.
Deep Hand Infections (Space Infections)
Deep space hand infections are serious bacterial infections in the closed compartments deep within your hand, usually from puncture wounds, bites, or spread from finger infections—they cause severe pain, swelling, inability to move fingers, and require emergency surgical drainage in the operating theatre plus IV antibiotics to prevent permanent hand damage, with most patients hospitalized for 3-7 days and needing 4-8 weeks of hand therapy recovery.
📖What is Deep Hand Infections (Space Infections)?
Deep space hand infections are serious bacterial infections in the closed compartments deep within your hand, usually from puncture wounds, bites, or spread from finger infections—they cause severe pain, swelling, inability to move fingers, and require emergency surgical drainage in the operating theatre plus IV antibiotics to prevent permanent hand damage, with most patients hospitalized for 3-7 days and needing 4-8 weeks of hand therapy recovery.
🔬What Causes It?
- Puncture wounds to palm or hand (stepping on nail, thorn, splinter)
- Animal or human bites
- Spread from untreated finger infection (felon or paronychia)
- Penetrating injury from contaminated object
- IV drug use (injection into hand veins)
⚠️Risk Factors
You may be at higher risk if:
- Diabetes (higher infection risk, worse outcomes)
- Immunosuppression (chemotherapy, steroids, HIV)
- Delayed treatment of initial hand wound or infection
- Poor wound care after hand injury
- Occupations with hand injury risk (farming, gardening, construction)
- IV drug use
🛡️Prevention
- ✓Clean all hand wounds immediately with soap and water
- ✓Seek medical care for puncture wounds, especially if contaminated
- ✓Never ignore animal or human bites—see doctor within 24 hours
- ✓Treat finger infections promptly before they spread
- ✓Wear gloves during gardening or handling contaminated materials
- ✓Update tetanus vaccination if needed after puncture wounds
- ✓If diabetic, be extra vigilant about hand wound care