Necrotising fasciitis is a serious bacterial infection that eats away at the muscle, tissue and skin. But can the infection be passed from one person to another?
Necrotising fasciitis contagious
Necrotising fasciitis is not considered to be contagious. It is very unusual for it to be directly communicated from one person to another.
For necrotising fasciitis to happen, the bacteria must get into the body’s soft tissues through a break in the skin – for example, through a small cut or a surgical wound. Once the bacteria reach the subcutaneous tissue, they begin to reproduce. As they do so, they release a harmful substance that destroys the surrounding tissue, disrupting the blood supply.
Therefore for someone to become infected with necrotising fasciitis, they must firstly come into contact with the necrotising fasciitis bacteria, and they must secondly have a break in their skin through which the bacteria can enter. This means it is very difficult for necrotising fasciitis to be directly passed from one person to another.
However, it is possible for the bacteria that cause necrotising fasciitis to spread. Indeed, someone may carry the bacteria without becoming ill. A cough or a sneeze may then cause the bacteria to spread to another surface and this can be picked up by another person. If that person has a break in the skin, he/she may go on to develop necrotising fasciitis.
Nevertheless, a patient with necrotising fasciitis is not contagious.
Treating necrotising fasciitis
If a person does contract necrotising fasciitis, it is essential the treatment is provided without delay. It does not necessarily matter how a patient contracted the illness. The main concern is locating the site of infection and preventing the spread of bacteria throughout the body. This is because the disease will quickly cause the tissue to die, and this will become increasingly severe the longer the bacteria remain inside the body.
The only way to eradicate necrotising fasciitis is to remove all the infected tissue. If a large amount of tissue has been affected, the debridement will be extensive, resulting in a significant defect. Thus it must be treatment shortly after the onset of symptoms, or a patient could become critically unwell.
Delayed treatment of necrotising fasciitis
If the treatment of necrotising fasciitis is delayed, and the fault lies with medical practitioners, there may be grounds for a medical negligence compensation claim. To find out more, please get in touch with us today.
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