Necrotising fasciitis is a bacterial infection often dubbed ‘the flesh-eating disease’. In this article we explore how you get necrotising fasciitis, who is most likely to contract the infection and what action doctors should take when a case of necrotising fasciitis is suspected.
How do you get the flesh-eating disease?
Necrotising fasciitis is caused by certain types of bacteria. In the majority of cases the infection is caused by the Group A Streptococcus bacteria, which also cause the common strep throat infection.
For necrotising fasciitis to happen, the bacteria must get into the body’s soft tissue. They can enter the body through a break in the skin, which may be something as obvious as a surgical incision or something as small as a paper cut. The break may be so small that the individual in question may not even be aware of the injury.
If the bacteria get into the body’s soft tissues, they will begin to reproduce at a rapid rate. As they multiply they release a chemical that is poisonous to the soft tissue and fascia (connective tissue). The tissue will then begin to break down, disrupting the blood supply.
Because of the reduced blood supply, the tissue will become deficient in oxygen, causing it to break down even further. Within a short space of time the damage will be such that the tissue actually dies. This is known as tissue necrosis.
Who can get necrotising fasciitis?
Anyone can contract the necrotising fasciitis infection, although it rarely occurs in children. All that is needed for necrotising fasciitis to develop is a break in the skin through which the bacteria can enter the body. This means that fit and healthy people who have simply nicked their skin can develop necrotising fasciitis just as much as hospital patients can.
However, there are factors that increase the risk of necrotising fasciitis, including:-
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- A compromised immune system
- Abdominal surgery – such as a cholecystectomy or a C-section
- Open sores – such as pressure sores and abscesses
Because of these risk factors, necrotising fasciitis is more likely to affect hospital patients. However, that is not exclusively that case.
What action should doctors take?
If a patient presents with the symptoms associated with necrotising fasciitis, doctors should take immediate action. Intravenous antibiotics should be administered while medical professionals work towards confirming a diagnosis. Once necrotising fasciitis is diagnosed, urgent surgical debridement should be carried out to remove all the necrotic tissue.
If there is a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of necrotising fasciitis – and this delay is the fault of medical error – there will be grounds for a compensation claim.
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