The tourniquet syndrome of the thumb due to dressing with a rubber band in a pediatric patient

Abstract

Ischemia of an appendage caused by dressing, tourniquet or hair is a rare, but devastating clinical entity. A six-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with necrosis of her right thumb caused by compressive dressing for four days. The patient was treated with an immediate surgical decompression and the thumb was saved. The patient had a full range of the thumb at 10 months of follow-up. In conclusion, instead of waiting for full demarcation, timely surgical interventions may protect the fingers from being amputated.