This typically occurs when the skin is broken. For example, the bacteria can enter your body through a cut, scrape, or surgical wound. 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. Other bacteria that can cause necrotizing fasciitis include:. People who already have health issues that weaken the immune system, such as cancer or diabetes, are at greater risk of developing infections caused by group A Streptococcus. In addition to looking at your skin, your doctor may perform several tests to diagnose this condition.
They may take a biopsy , which is a small sample of the affected skin tissue for examination. Blood tests can show if your muscles have been damaged. 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. In some cases, amputation of one or more limbs may be necessary to help stop the spread of the infection. The outlook depends entirely on the severity of the condition.
Early diagnosis is crucial for this dangerous, life-threatening infection. The earlier the infection is diagnosed, the earlier it can be treated. Without prompt treatment, this infection can be fatal. Other conditions that you have in addition to the infection can also have an impact on the outlook. Those who recover from necrotizing fasciitis may experience anything from minor scarring to limb amputation. It may require multiple surgical procedures to treat and then additional procedures such as delayed wound closure or skin grafting.
Each case is unique. Your doctor will be able to give you more specific information about your individual case. The skin in the infected area can become tight and discolored from the swelling.
Unless treatment is initiated promptly, shock and death usually follow in a short time. The general public remains safe from this disease. Although reports in the news have increased our awareness of this condition, the number of persons with the disease has not changed over the last several years. Of them, only 6 to 7 percent are invasive, meaning the infection has spread to healthy tissue. For example, in , the CDC reported that 74 people had necrotizing fasciitis, which was less than 6 percent of all strep infections reported that year.
Treatment with appropriate antibiotics as soon as possible is vital for early infections. Antibiotics will prevent the further spread of infection to healthy tissues. Antibiotics are limited because of the death of tissue at the infected site. There is no vaccine currently available to prevent necrotizing fasciitis.
Necrotizing fasciitis is caused by several kinds of bacteria. Some of these bacteria also cause infections such as strep throat and impetigo. Usually the infections caused by these bacteria are mild.
But in rare cases they can cause a more dangerous infection. You can get necrotizing fasciitis when bacteria enter a wound, such as from an insect bite, a burn, or a cut.
You can also get it in:. The bacteria that cause necrotizing fasciitis can be passed from person to person through close contact, such as touching the wound of the infected person. But this rarely happens unless the person who is exposed to the bacteria has an open wound, chickenpox, or an impaired immune system.
The symptoms often start suddenly after an injury. You may need medical care right away if you have pain that gets better over 24 to 36 hours and then suddenly gets worse. The pain may be much worse than you would expect from the size of the wound or injury.
You may also have:. The infection may spread rapidly. It quickly can become life-threatening. You may go into shock and have damage to skin, fat, and the tissue covering the muscles. This damage is called gangrene. Necrotizing fasciitis can lead to organ failure and death.
The doctor will diagnose your infection based on how suddenly your symptoms started and how quickly the infection is spreading. The infected tissue may be tested for bacteria. You also may need X-rays , a CT scan , or an MRI to look for injury to your organs or to find out how much the infection has spread. Early treatment of necrotizing fasciitis is critical. The sooner treatment begins, the more likely you will recover from the infection and avoid serious complications, such as limb amputation or death.
You may be treated in the intensive care unit ICU at the hospital. Necrotizing fasciitis is very rare.
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