Q. What is the effective treatment for paronychia?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

From your descriptions and the attached images (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity), it seems you have paronychia.

Paronychia is a soft tissue infection around a fingernail that begins as cellulitis but may progress to a definite abscess. It may be of two types.

1. Acute paronychia - Painful and purulent condition, most frequently caused by Staphylococci.

2. Chronic paronychia - Usually caused by a fungal infection (if the duration is more than six months).

In your case, soft tissue swelling is present without fluctuance; the infection may resolve with warm soaks three to four times daily. If an abscess has developed, incision and drainage must be performed. For an acute episode, you can take oral antibiotics like Augmentin 625 mg tablet thrice daily (if not sensitive to penicillin group) with topical Fusidic acid cream and Clotrimazole cream twice daily for five days. Consult a specialist doctor, talk with them, and take medications with their consent. Do not cut toenails from the side. Instead, you can cut from the front. In addition, once they grow, side nails pinch the skin and cause recurrent problems. You can also do gram staining and culture to rule out the bacterial cause. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) 5 % smears rule out the fungal cause.

Thank you.

Same symptoms doesn’t mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Suvash Sahu

Experience: 20 + Yrs

Dermatology

---

Related Questions:
I hurt my fingernail, it has turned black and paining very badly. Please help.

Hello doctor, My mother's present complaint is weakness. She is also suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, CKD and heart problem. We have done the CT scan. The CT scan shows shortness of breath in the lung.   Read full

I am having small black spots on my toenail. Does it indicate melanoma?

Hello doctor, My mother's present complaint is weakness. She is also suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, CKD and heart problem. We have done the CT scan. The CT scan shows shortness of breath in the lung.   Read full

I have an itchy bump around the second toe nail. What is it?

Hello doctor, My mother's present complaint is weakness. She is also suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, CKD and heart problem. We have done the CT scan. The CT scan shows shortness of breath in the lung.   Read full