Infectious Disease Compendium

Paronychia

Diagnosis

Infection of the base of the nail bed, often quite painful as the pus is trapped by the nail.

Epidemiologic Risks

Wet hands or hands in rubber gloves. Bartenders call it bar rot.

Microbiology

Acute: usually S. aureus.

Chronic: usually Candida or gram-negative rods such as Pseudomonas.

Other organisms depend on where they put their fingers.

Empiric Therapy

May need to be drained,

Sticking it with a needle or nail elevator, the squeeze out the pus.

Heating a paper clip red hot and sticking it into the abscess though the nail is said to be efficacious. And I bet it really stinks.

Acute: cephalexin OR dicloxacillin.

Chronic: get cultures.

Pearls

On occasion it can go into the bone.

Rants

Last Update: 12/12/18.