Digital Ischemia After Application of Self-Adherent Elastic Wrap Dressing: A Case Series

Abstract

Self-adherent elastic wrap dressings are a convenient option to manage pediatric hand and finger injuries. However, when improperly applied, they have the potential to cause devastating complications. We detail in this report 5 cases of dressing-induced ischemic injury to the hand in pediatric patients with a review of the literature. All patients were treated by the senior author between 2007 and 2015 and were retrospectively reviewed for initial injury, frequency of dressing changes, presence of pain, time to evaluation by the orthopedic hand team, treatment, and outcome. Patients’ families were contacted for clinical updates and to obtain current photographs. Age at injury ranged from 11 months to 3 years with 2 girls and 3 boys. Only 1 of 5 patients complained of pain or discomfort during the onset of their ischemic injury. Treatment of the ischemic injury included local wound care without surgery in 3 cases (including sympathetic block in 1) and surgical intervention with partial or complete digital amputation in 2 cases. At final follow-up, 2 of the 5 patients reported currently being bothered by the appearance of the injured hand; however, none had persistent pain or difficulty using the hand. Through these examples, health care professionals can be educated on the potentially disastrous complications of improper dressing application in the pediatric population and can be encouraged to share this information with patients’ families.