Negative pressure therapy with irrigation for an infected digit: a preliminary report.

When tendons, bones or joints are exposed in infected digits, functional and cosmetic sequelae are frequent. We propose continuous negative pressure therapy with irrigation (NPI) for an infected digit with an open wound. Continuous NPI was evaluated in vitro and subsequently applied to a clinical case. Acceptable functional and cosmetic results were obtained without any problems when continuous NPI was performed in the clinical case. Continuous NPI may be a useful alternative for treatment of an infected digit with an open wound.