Non-operative management of fingertip injuries with an intravenous dressing.

Objective: The optimal management of fingertip injuries is a much debated topic. Surgical and nonsurgical options, including treatment with dressings alone, have comparable results. IV3000 is a semi-occlusive dressing with a high reactive moisture vapour transmission rate (MVTR) compared to its alternatives. As the fingertip is crucial to hand function, determining the optimal dressing to treat these injuries is of clinical importance. The aim of this study is to collect preliminary data on the IV dressing when used to treat fingertip injuries. Method: Patients were recruited from the department of orthopaedic surgery outpatient clinic. Inclusion criteria were a fingertip injury with skin loss and emergency department treatment consistent with the study protocol, including washing the fingertip, simple debridement as required, administration of antibiotics, tetanus prophylaxis, and fingertip dressed with the IV dressing. Results: Fingertip injuries (15) from 13 male patients were identified. With the exce...