In high-pressure injection injuries to the hand the most commonly
injected materials are automotive grease, diesel oil, and paint. We treated
twenty-six patients with high-pressure injection injuries of the hand and
found that the injection of paint resulted in a poorer prognosis than did
the injection of grease. Amputation is often necessary with paint
injections into a digit, while injections into the palm have a somewhat
better prognosis. The disability time of patients with paint-injection
injuries appeared to be directly related to the time elapsed until
amputation of the involved digit. Although we were unable to specifically
relate the ultimate result to the time elapsed between injury and proper
treatment, we continue to recommend early aggressive wide debridement of
these injuries.