Synonyms: Finger sweep test
Finger test can be performed under Local anesthesia or General anesthesia in:
- Emergency department
- Bedside in wards
- Operation theaters
Procedure:
- Area is infiltrated with local anesthetic
- A 2 cm test incision down to fascia is made in the suspected area
- The tissues are visually examined for:
- The absence bleeding
- Dirty ‘dishwater’ coloured fluid
- Discolouration of the fat
- Non-contracting muscles
- A rapid finger sweep at the level of the fascia is then carried out. If the tissues dissect with minimal resistance this again favours the diagnosis of necrotizing fascitis.
- Fluid and tissue samples can also be obtained at this stage for microbiological analysis.
Reference: Albadri Z, Salman K. Necrotizing fasciitis of the finger. IDCases. 2019 May 10;17:e00560. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2019.e00560. PMID: 31384560; PMCID: PMC6667696.
