COMPARTMENT SYNDROMES OF THE HAND

We retrospectively reviewed the records of nineteen patients who had b een managed with fasciotomy because of compartment syndrome of the han d, The patients were five months to sixty-seven gears old and included ten adults and nine children, Seventeen patients mere followed for an average of twenty-one months (range, one to fifty-eight months), one patient was lost to follow-up after discharge, and one patient died fo ur days postoperatively, All of the patients had a tense, swollen hand and elevated pressure in at least one interosseous compartment. Eight patients also had a compartment syndrome of the forearm, The compartm ent syndromes developed after intravenous injections (eleven patients) ; after a gunshot wound, a crush injury, or a complication related to the use of an arterial line (two patients each); and after a complicat ion related to an arthrodesis of the wrist or a crush injury due to pr olonged pressure on the upper extremity secondary to a drug overdose ( one patient each). Fifteen patients had an obtunded sensorium - either because of a serious illness or injury or secondary to prolonged anes thesia - when the compartment syndrome was recognized, In thirteen of these patients, including eight children and five adults, the compartm ent syndrome developed because of a complication related to the intrav enous or intra-arterial administration of drugs, Carpal tunnel release and decompression of the involved compartments led to a satisfactory result for thirteen of the seventeen patients who were followed, The r emaining four patients (including two children who had an amputation, one child who had impaired function of the hand secondary to brain dam age, and one adult mho had extensive involvement of the forearm and co mplete loss of function of the hand) had a poor result, All four of th ese patients had been obtunded when the compartment syndrome developed , The treating physician should maintain a high index of suspicion for a compartment syndrome of the hand when managing seriously ill, obtun ded patients - particularly children - who are receiving multiple intr avenous or intra-arterial injections.