Necrotising fasciitis can arise after an insect bite. In this article we explore necrotising fasciitis from insect bites in more detail.
Necrotising fasciitis
Necrotising fasciitis is an infection that happens when a certain type of bacteria get into the body’s deep tissues. The bacteria must find a way to enter the body first – usually through a cut in the skin.
Once inside the body, the bacteria multiply, releasing a poisonous substance as they do so. This causes the tissue to break down, interrupting the flow of blood and oxygen. The tissue subsequently becomes deficient in oxygen and breaks down even further.
Within days of the bacteria first entering the body, the tissue damage can be so severe that the tissue becomes necrotic – i.e. the tissue dies.
Necrotising fasciitis from an insect bite
In most cases of necrotising fasciitis, the patient will report having sustained some sort of damage to the skin days previously. This might be a tiny cut suffered while gardening, or a large surgical wound.
It is also possible that a patient recently experienced an insect bite, through which the necrotising fasciitis bacteria entered. This can be any type of insect bite, such as a spider bite or a flea bite.
The insect bite will puncture the skin, giving bacteria the chance to get into the body. If a person does subsequently come into contact with the necrotising fasciitis bacteria, it will enter the body through the bite, infecting the surrounding tissue.
Necrotising fasciitis secondary to an insect bite
If necrotising fasciitis does develop secondary to an insect bite, it is vital that doctors diagnose the problem without delay. This is because necrotising fasciitis that is an aggressive disease that can be fatal if not treated in time.
Although necrotising fasciitis is rare – particularly as a result of an insect bite – it should not be beyond the abilities of medical practitioners in the UK to make a timely diagnosis. This can be achieved by recognising the symptoms of a severe infection, analysing blood tests and sending cultures to be tested in the laboratory.
If medical practitioners fail to diagnose necrotising fasciitis in a reasonable amount of time, causing a patient to suffer unnecessary complications, there will be grounds for a medical negligence compensation claim.
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