Back to Basics Deep Dive - The Hand

Mon, 02/06/2017 - 5:00am
Author: 
Richard Byrne, MD
  • Hand injuries are a common ED complaint and can result in severe disability if undiagnosed or misdiagnosed
  • Complications such as missed tendon injuries, missed foreign bodies, soft tissue and bone infections are perennially top causes for malpractice suits lodged against EM physicians
  • A basic understanding of hand anatomy and how to perform a good exam (and communicate your findings to consultants!) are critical core knowledge for EM providers
  • Check out this video by Dr. Fred Heckler, plastic surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, for an excellent primer on hand anatomy and a proper exam (Be warned it is 50 minutes long, so either get comfortable or skip around to the stuff you forget!)