Necrotising fasciitis is a bacterial infection that must be treated with early surgical debridement. If this treatment is not provided, the consequences can be fatal.
Tissue necrosis
Necrotising fasciitis is a rare bacterial infection. It happens when a certain kind of bacteria get into the body’s deep tissues. Once there, the bacteria secrete a toxin that damages the surrounding tissue, causing it to break down. This disrupts the blood supply, resulting in a deficiency in blood and oxygen, as well as a build-up of waste products. This causes the tissue to break down even further until it finally dies. This is called tissue necrosis.
How is necrotising fasciitis treated?
The dead tissue must be removed or the patient will experience a rapidly accelerating infection. Indeed, the bacteria will spread across the body if the necrotic tissue is not debrided. This will result in septicaemia, a potentially life-threatening illness.
Therefore the primary treatment for necrotising fasciitis is to remove all dead tissue, as this will prevent aggressive secondary infections. All of the dead tissue must be removed or the body will not be rid of infection. This means that more than one surgical debridement procedure may be required.
Treatment after surgical debridement
Once all the necrotic tissue has been cut away, the medical treatment provided will focus upon the healing process. This is particularly true if a large area of tissue has been excised, as a patient will have a large open wound that must be closed if further infections are to be avoided.
The closure of a large open wound can be achieved with vacuum assisted closure and skin grafts. The plastic surgery team may be involved in a patient’s care, as often further surgical treatment is needed to assist healing and improve the aesthetic appearance of the defect.
Failure to treat tissue necrosis
Without surgical debridement, a patient with necrotising fasciitis can only be expected to survive for around 24 to 48 hours. This means the emphasis very much lies on how quickly treatment is provided, as any delay could result in life-ending complications.
If there is a failure to treat tissue necrosis in a timely manner, the standard of medical care must be investigated. If medical practitioners failed to achieve an acceptable standard of care – for instance, there was a failure to diagnose and act with urgency – there may be grounds for a medical negligence claim.
To find out if you can claim compensation for necrotising fasciitis, please get in touch with us today.
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