Necrotising fasciitis is an acute bacterial infection. In this article we explore what an acute infection means.
Acute and chronic diseases
An acute medical condition means that it comes on very suddenly. A chronic medical condition is the opposite of this, meaning it comes on very slowly.
Necrotising fasciitis is an acute medical condition. It is an aggressive bacterial infection that happens when a particular type of bacteria get into the body’s soft tissues and reproduce. This causes a toxin to be released into the body which damages the nearby tissue and muscle. All this happens incredibly quickly, and within hours of bacteria entering the body a large area of tissue can be infected.
Once the tissue is infected, it will begin to break down and die. This is called tissue necrosis. Necrotic tissue cannot be restored and must be surgically removed, so it is important to limit the amount of dead tissue as much as possible. Necrotising fasciitis can cause an extensive area of necrotic tissue within days of the onset of symptoms. It really is therefore a fast-moving infection that requires immediate medical attention.
Necrotising fasciitis – a medical emergency
Because of the speed at which necrotising fasciitis can become a life-threatening condition, it is vital that treatment is provided in the early stages. This will prevent the infection spreading throughout the body, thereby minimising the extent of tissue necrosis. It will also help to ensure the infection does not spread to the blood and internal organs, something which is difficult to survive.
Treatment must involve intravenous antibiotics and emergency surgical debridement to remove all the dead tissue. This is the only way to rid the body of infection. Such treatment must be provided as early as possible if serious complications are to be avoided. Necrotising fasciitis is a medical emergency and medical practitioners cannot delay when diagnosing and treating the condition.
Medical negligence
Doctors should be able to recognise a patient’s symptoms as being characteristic of a severe infection. Symptoms that should lead them to this conclusion include a fever, an intense pain with no obvious cause and skin that is red/hot to touch. Clinical features that will support this suspicion include low blood pressure, a high temperature and most importantly, a high CRP count (evident from a blood test).
As soon as an infection is recognise, a patient should be started on antibiotics while further investigations are conduced to verify the underlying cause. Once necrotising fasciitis is firmly diagnosed, a patient should proceed straight to surgery. A failure to achieve this standard of care within a reasonable timeframe will amount to medical negligence.
For more information about necrotising fasciitis and medical negligence claim, contact us today.
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