ABSTRACT – Necrotizing Fasciitis is a rare condition in which a flesh eating bacteria spreads the infection in the...
Necrotizing fasciitis
Necrotizing fasciitis is a type of soft tissue infection. It can destroy the tissue in your skin and muscles as well as subcutaneous tissue, which is the tissue beneath your skin.
Necrotizing fasciitis is most commonly caused by an infection with group A Streptococcus, commonly known as “flesh-eating bacteria.” This is the fastest moving form of the infection. When this infection is caused by other types of bacteria, it typically doesn’t progress as quickly and isn’t quite as dangerous.
This bacterial skin infection is rare in healthy people, but it’s possible to get this infection from even a tiny cut, so it’s important to be aware of the symptoms if you’re at risk. You should see your doctor immediately if you have symptoms or believe that you may have developed the infection. Because the condition can progress quickly, it’s vital to treat it as early as possible.
Symptoms:
The first symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis may not seem serious. Your skin may become warm and red, and you may feel as if you’ve pulled a muscle. You may even feel like you simply have the flu.
You can also develop a painful, red bump, which is typically small. However, the red bump doesn’t stay small. The pain will become worse, and the affected area will grow quickly.
There may be oozing from the infected area, or it may become discolored as it decays. Blisters, bumps, black dots, or other skin lesions might appear. In the early stages of the infection, the pain will be much worse than it looks.
Other symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis include:
fatigue
weakness
fever with chills and sweating
nausea
vomiting
dizziness
infrequent urination
Causes:
To get necrotizing fasciitis, you need to have the bacteria in your body. This typically occurs when the skin is broken. For example, the bacteria can enter your body through a cut, scrape, or surgical wound. These injuries don’t need to be large for the bacteria to take hold. Even a needle puncture can be enough.
Several types of bacteria cause necrotizing fasciitis. The most common and well-known type is group A Streptococcus. However, this isn’t the only type of bacteria that can cause this infection. Other bacteria that can cause necrotizing fasciitis include:
Aeromonas hydrophila
Clostridium
E. coli
Klebsiella
Staphylococcus aureus
Treatment:
Treatment begins with strong antibiotics. These are delivered directly into your veins. The tissue decay means that the antibiotics might not be able to reach all of the infected areas. As a result, it’s important for doctors to remove any dead tissue immediately.
In some cases, amputation of one or more limbs may be necessary to help stop the spread of the infection.
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