Necrotizing soft tissue infection

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum - abdomen

Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum - leg

Necrotizing soft tissue infection

Definition:

Necrotizing soft-tissue infection is a severe type of tissue infection that can involve the skin, subcutaneous fat, the muscle sheath (fascia), and the muscle. It can cause gangrene, tissue death, systemic disease, and death.

Alternative Names:
Necrotizing fasciitis; Fasciitis - necrotizing; Flesh-eating bacteria; Soft tissue gangrene; Gangrene - soft-tissue
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

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Necrotizing subcutaneous infection or fasciitis can be caused by a variety of bacteria including oxygen-using bacteria (aerobic) or oxygen-avoiding bacteria (anaerobic). A very severe and usually fatal fasciitis is caused by adeadly species of streptococcus called "flesh-eating bacteria" by the press.

This type of infection develops when bacteria enter the body, usually through a minor skin injury or abrasion. The bacteria begin to grow and release toxins that:

Directly kill tissue
Interfere with the blood flow to the tissue
Digest materials in the tissue, whichrapidly spreadsthe bacteria
Cause widespread effects, such as shock

Infection may begin as a small reddish painful spot or bump on the skin. This quickly changes to a painful bronzed or purplish patch that expands rapidly. The center may become black and dead (necrotic). The skin may break open. Visible expansion of the infection may occur in less than an hour.

Symptoms may include fever, sweating, chills, nausea, dizziness, profound weakness, and finally shock. Without treatment death can occur rapidly.