The management of wringer injuries

Summary Between the years 1985–1988, 32 patients with wringer injury of the upper extremity were admitted to our institution. A uniform treatment program was carried out on all patients; this included aseptic wound care, immobilization and elevation of the involved extremity and early coverage of skin defects. The important aspects in the management of wringer injuries are reviewed, and the importance of early coverage of skin defects is emphasized. Furthermore, it was concluded that the surface area of deep ecchymosis measured 48 h after injury was useful as a simple and objective criterion to estimate the extent of final skin necrosis.Presented at 5th Congress of the Asian Pacific Section of the International Confederation for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Istanbul, September 7–10, 1989, Turkey