(1) At first symptoms, just immerse affected part in hot water about 3 times daily and in a day or two the whitlow goes away.

(2) Herpetic whitlow results from autoinoculation of type 1 or type 2 herpes simplex virus into broken skin.

(3) I have a whitlow on the end of my finger, how should I treat it?

(4) Herpetic whitlow is an HSV infection of the fingers and toes and may represent a primary infection or a secondary recurrence of type 1 or 2 HSV infection.

(5) Unfortunately due a stabbing incident involving a ‘safety’ pin I am now the proud owner of a whitlow on the said finger, which is slowing my blogging down.

(6) Nursery personnel with an active herpetic whitlow should not have direct care of neonates.

(7) Herpetic whitlow usually is self-limited and resolves in two to three weeks.

(8) Complications in herpetic whitlow include bacterial infection of the sore and possible spread of the virus.

(9) Another causes whitlows on fingers, feet, knees and shoulders.

(10) I should have remembered, as a dental colleague has just reminded me, what a problem herpetic whitlows used to be in our dental undergraduates before they were made to wear gloves.