Over a 5 1/2-year period 30 patients were found withEikenella corrodensinfections of the hand following closed first injury. Twenty-four had mixed infections; six grew pure cultures ofEikenella.Twenty-one of the 30 patients had positive cultures from an injured metacarpophalangeal joint. A delay in presentation or an inaccurate initial diagnosis appeared to be the most significant factors leading to the complications of osteomylitis (in five patients) and significant loss of joint function (in eight other patients). Clinicians must have a high index of suspicion when evaluating any hand injury and clenched first injuries of the hand should be treated by early adequate surgical debridement followed by IV penicillin given until operative cultures confirm or deny contamination withEikenella corrodens.