₦airaland Forum

Necrotising fasciitis (NF),[/b] commonly known as flesh-eating disease, is an infection that results in the death of the body's soft tissue.[3] It is a severe disease of sudden onset that spreads rapidly. Symptoms include red or purple skin in the affected area, severe pain, fever, and vomiting.[3] The most commonly affected areas are the limbs and perineum.

Typically the infection enters the body through a break in the skin such as a cut or burn.[3] Risk factors include poor immune function such as from diabetes or cancer, obesity, alcoholism, intravenous drug use, and peripheral vascular disease.[2][3] It is not typically spread between people.[3] The disease is classified into four types, depending on the infecting organism. Between 55 and 80% of cases involve more than one type of bacteria. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is involved in up to a third of cases. Medical imaging is helpful to confirm the diagnosis.[4]

Prevention is by good wound care and handwashing.[3] It is usually treated with surgery to remove the infected tissue and intravenous antibiotics.[2][3] Often a combination of antibiotics are used such as penicillin G, clindamycin, vancomycin, and gentamicin.[2] Delays in surgery are associated with a higher risk of death.[4] Despite high quality treatment the risk of death is between 25% and 35%.[2]

Necrotizing fasciitis affects 0.4 to 1 person per 100,000 per year.[4] Both sexes are affected equally.[2] It becomes more common among older people and is very rare in children.[4] Necrotizing fasciitis has been described at least since the time of Hippocrates.[2] The term "necrotising fasciitis" first came into use in 1952.[4][5]