Anyone can get necrotising fasciitis, a soft tissue infection that kills the tissue, skin and connective tissue. However there are some factors that put a person at increased risk of developing the condition. We explore these in more detail below.
Who is at risk of getting necrotising fasciitis?
Anyone of any age can get necrotising fasciitis, although it is really very rare in children.
There are also some factors that can place you at increased risk of necrotising fasciitis. These include:
- Diabetes
- Chronic hepatitis
- Malignant cancer, most commonly leukaemia and intra-abdominal malignancy
- Intravenous drug users
- Sepsis
- Varicella infection (chickenpox)
- Puncture wound to the skin
- Surgery
Around 75% of people who get necrotising fasciitis will have a recent history of skin trauma (even if it is just a paper cut) or a comorbidity (an existing disease or condition).
Detecting necrotising fasciitis
That means that 25% of patients develop necrotising fasciitis without any explanation. This can make a diagnosis particularly difficult – especially if a patient presents with pain but not with fever and other systemic signs.
Nevertheless, medical practitioners should be concerned about a patient who presents with severe pain of no known cause. In such cases, doctors should investigate the possibility of infection and sepsis by analysing a patient’s inflammatory markers. This can be achieved with a blood test.
A blood test will reveal abnormalities, including a raised C Reactive Protein. This indicates that the body is undergoing an inflammatory response due to an infection. This should prompt medical practitioners to conduct further investigations into the exact nature of the infection.
Necrotising fasciitis diagnosis delayed
Unfortunately there are occasions when necrotising fasciitis is mistaken for another condition such as the flu or cellulitis. This results in the patient being denied the urgent treatment that is desperately needed for necrotising fasciitis. This mainstay of this treatment is the surgical removal of the infected tissue, as well as intravenous antibiotics.
If the infected tissue is not cut away, the infection will spread and quickly become serious. It can take just days for a patient to fall into a critical condition with septic shock and organ failure.
Necrotising fasciitis compensation claims
It is for this reason that the majority of necrotising fasciitis compensation claims arise. Indeed, while necrotising fasciitis is rare it should not be beyond the abilities of reasonably competent medical practitioners to diagnose and treat the condition. A failure to do so will amount to a substandard level of care. Any patient who is harmed because of poor medical care will be entitled to claim compensation.
For more information on necrotising fasciitis claims, please contact us today.
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