This article explores how to diagnose necrotising fasciitis, which is also known as Fournier’s Gangrene or the ‘flesh-eating disease’.
Diagnosing necrotising fasciitis
A preliminary diagnosis of necrotising fasciitis is often achieved simply by considering a patient’s symptoms.
The symptoms of necrotising fasciitis are:
- Severe pain inside the deep tissues
- Skin that is red and hot to touch
- Fever
- Skin discolouration/blistering
This combination of symptoms indicates an infection of the body’s deep tissues. Doctors should consider these symptoms as a whole and apply their medical expertise. A reasonable clinician would suspect a severe infection.
If there is any doubt, a blood test will show a raised white blood cell count and high C-Reactive Protein, both of which show that an infection is present.
Medical practitioners can then work to verify the exact nature of the infection. In the meantime broad-spectrum antibiotics should be administered intravenously. It may even be that a patient is sent straight to surgery, as deep tissue infections can be very aggressive and require immediate treatment.
The diagnosis of necrotising fasciitis can be confirmed with other tests, including cultures of the infected tissue and gram staining of exudates. This will also identify the bacteria causing the infection. Sometimes a definite diagnosis is not made until after surgery.
Importance of early diagnosis
It is essential that necrotising fasciitis is suspected early and the appropriate treatment commenced without delay. Necrotising fasciitis is fast-moving infection and can be life-threatening if left untreated for too long.
Sadly morbidity rates for necrotising fasciitis are high. The longer treatment is withheld, the greater the mortality rate. It is difficult to say exactly how long medical practitioners have to treat it, but in some cases death can occur within a matter of hours or days of infection.
If a patient death happens because of a delay in diagnosis, the standard of care could be deemed unacceptable.
Conclusion
Therefore necrotising fasciitis can be diagnosed by:
- Recognising the patient’s symptoms
- Cultures of the infection tissue
- Gram staining of exudates
A diagnosis must be achieved in the early stages to ensure timely treatment is provided. Without prompt treatment the patient may not survive.
The failure to diagnose and treat necrotising fasciitis can result in a medical negligence compensation claim.
For more information on claiming compensation for medical negligence, please get in touch with us today. We specialise in necrotising fasciitis claims and will be able to help you further.
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