ABSTRACT
Empirical antibiotic treatment for hand infections is changing to single antibiotic therapy against Staphylococcus aureus in immunocompetent patients. Fifty-one patients treated surgically for hand infections were reviewed to assess the nature of infection in terms of site, organism, mechanism of injury, and antibiotic sensitivity of the organisms. Twenty-three per cent of patients had diabetes mellitus and were noted to be older than non-diabetics. Eighty-four per cent of non-diabetic patients had single organism infections, 59 involving S aureus. Fifty per cent of diabetic patients had multi-organism infection caused by gram positive and gram negative organisms. Patients stuck with a piece of wood also had multi-organism infections. Double antibiotic therapy is therefore advocated for patients with diabetes mellitus and all patients who had hand infections as a result of being stuck with a piece of wood. All others should have single antibiotic therapy with amoxycillin and clavulanic acid.