Fingerstick felons.
Blood drawing through the fingerstick technique is growing in popularity. Generally considered harmless, it is widely used both in hospitals and at home for monitoring blood glucose concentrations. We report 2 cases of hand infections requiring surgery that resulted from fingerstick blood glucose concentration determinations in immunosuppressed patients. This potentially serious side effect of using the fingerstick technique may be minimized by drawing the blood from the volar forearm or from other areas of the body.
Perry
A W
AW
Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Chicago, IL 60637.
Gottlieb
L J
LJ
Zachary
L S
LS
Krizek
T J
TJ
D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008297:Male; D011677:Punctures / Q000009:adverse effects*