Is It A “Wicklo”, “Witlo”, “Whitlow” or Just a “Felon” (with pictures)

So i was at the cinema last week, when i heard a lady tell her friend that she has "wicklo", the friend suddenly burst out laughing and said it is called "whitlow" and not "wicklo", they actually went on arguing for almost 2minutes and eventually decided to google. Then i remembered that i was once in that same shoe and thought, how many others still makes this mistake? Anyway that brings me to the topic of today... WHITLOW                               (Between, the movie: Seven and half dates is hilariously hilarious, trust me!)

 A Whitlow is an infection of the finger, especially the fingertip. It is typically caused by a virus called herpes simplex virus (HSV) or a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. It is called herpetic whitlow, when caused by the virus and Felon, when caused by the bacteria.
Herpetic whitlow is an infection where small blisters form on the fleshy area around the fingertips. These sores or blisters often cause throbbing pains. A whitlow can occur when broken skin on your finger comes in direct contact with body fluids infected with the HSV. These body fluids may come from you or someone else.

Herpectic Withlow with Blisters

When the HSV infection appears on the finger in the form of a whitlow, the symptoms are similar to herpes on other parts of the body. The first symptoms usually appear between 2-20 days after the person is exposed to the virus. The infected area will burn or tingle, and the person may begin to experience pain before any noticeable lesion shows up. The finger will then begin to swell and redden as the infection develops. Blisters will appear and begin to fill with liquid or pus. There maybe just one blister, or a group of them. They are typically small and very painful to the touch. These blisters will then burst and scab over in the weeks to come. Once the scabs heal, the infection returns to its dormant state.

Herpetic withlow on toes

Whitlow is caused by the same virus responsible for cold sores and genital herpes, therefore it is extremely contagious.  
Herpetic whitlow doesn’t require treatment. The condition usually heals within a few weeks without medication, but an antiviral drug can shorten the duration of an infection. However, antivirals are only effective when taken within 48 hours of developing symptoms.
Antivirals also lower the risk of spreading the infection to other people. A blister can rupture and become infected with bacteria, in this case an antibiotic will be prescribed. You can treat herpetic whitlow at home by taking a pain reliever such as diclofenac or ibuprofen to reduce pain and fever, applying a cold compress several times a day to reduce swelling and cleaning the infected area daily and covering it with gauze.

Both herpetic whitlow and felon present with the same symptoms. Felon usually appear around the pulp of the fingertip and instead of blisters, it present a big swollen pulp filled with pus. However, while herpetic whitlow can be self limiting, Felon has to be treated with an antibiotic and sometimes, the pus is being drained by incision to aid blood flow.

Felon infected fingers

Kindly do not try to drain pus by yourself, as this might lead to serious complications. Contact a healthcare provider!
Ways to prevent these infections include common safety measures to prevent having open wounds on your fingers and toes, Avoid chewing on nails and wash hands as needed.

Have a fulfilling, non-splashing-of-dirty-water-by-car-drivers week!

Pharm G B. IDAMKUE

Reference:
1. link accessed on the 10th of August, 2018
2. link accessed on the 10th of August, 2018
3. link accessed on the 10th of August, 2018