Diagnosis of Hand Infections in Intravenous Drug Users by Ultrasound and Water Bath: A Case Series

Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2018 Mar 14;2(2):132-135. doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2018.1.36283. eCollection 2018 May.

Abstract

We present three cases of hand injury by intravenous drug users in which point-of-care ultrasound, using a specific water bath technique, was able to quickly and efficiently delineate severity of injury. This technique benefited these patients by allowing a painless assessment of their injury for soft tissue injury vs. abscess formation and allowed providers to determine at the bedside whether these patients required immediate surgical intervention.

Publication types

  • Case Reports