100 patients who were scheduled to receive treatment for their hand abscesses were randomly assigned into 1 of 2 groups to determine the effect povidone-iodine soaks had on the outcomes of hand infections that occurred following operative drainage. Patients were either treated with a daily povidone soak (3 times a day) or simply received a daily dressing change with sterile gauze and orthosis. The results of the 6 week investigation indicated that povidone soak treatment did not deferrer significantly in the number operations required by patients, and that the soak treatment also had no effect on hospital stay length, number of readmissions, or reoperation numbers.