Causative Organisms in Soft Tissue Infections of the Hand: Challenging Current Antimicrobial Prescribing Practices

Soft tissue hand cellulitis is an increasingly common presentation to secondary care facilities in the United Kingdom. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) hand infections in a Scottish teaching hospital and improve upon current antimicrobial prescribing advice. A retrospective review was carried out over an 18-month period: 175 microbiology specimens from 148 adults were identified. Prevalence of hand infections in our institute is <0.1% with Staphylococcus aureus identified as the monomicrobial causative pathogen in 67% of cases. The incidence of MRSA was 4% in our patient population.