Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare but dangerous skin infection, commonly known as flesh-eating disease, which spreads deep in the skin along the lining of the muscles, according to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. The disease is caused by several common bacteria that enter the skin through an injury and then cause blood clots in the infected area. Since many of the body's defenses against infection travel through the blood, the immune system is unable to fight the infection, which can quickly spread out of control. The bacteria also release toxins that kill tissue, according to MedlinePlus.
Symptoms
At first, a necrotizing fasciitis infection may look like other less serious skin infections, according to Merck. The skin may look pale and then become red, warm, swollen or painful. But as the infection progresses, the skin may turn purple and form brown, watery blisters. The center of the wound may turn black or break open and ooze liquid. And the damage may spread quickly, in less than an hour, according to MedlinePlus. As the skin dies, it will turn black and may emit a gas that creates bubbles under the skin. The infection is accompanied by fever, increased heart rate, confusion, low blood pressure, sweating, chills, nausea, dizziness and extreme fatigue. Necrotizing fasciitis is a medical emergency that demands immediate care.
Drugs
Strong intravenous systemic antibiotics, usually gentamicin and clindamycin, are required to fight necrotizing fasciitis, according to Cleveland Clinic. They must be given immediately to fight the infection, according to MedlinePlus. Sometimes donor immunoglobulins, which are antibodies, are also added to the IV to boost the body's ability to fight off the infection.
Surgery
The dead skin and other tissue will need to be surgically removed to prevent the infection from spreading, according to Merck. This can cause disability and disfigurement as large amounts of skin, tissue and muscle sometimes have to be removed. In extreme cases, a leg or arm may have to be amputated to prevent the infection from killing the patient. If the patient survives, he may require skin grafts after the infection is gone to help heal the wound, according to MedlinePlus.
Oxygen Therapy
Some bacteria that cause necrotizing fasciitis are averse to oxygen, so some doctors also use a high-pressure hyperbaric oxygen chamber, the sort used to treat divers with decompression sickness, according to MedlinePlus. The patient is placed in a chamber that delivers 100 percent oxygen at high pressure to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood. However, research is unclear about how well this actually works, according to Merck.
Prognosis
The death rate from necrotizing fasciitis is close to 70 percent, according to Cleveland Clinic. Those who are older or have other medical conditions that may inhibit their ability to fight infection are more likely to die, according to Merck. Any delay in treatment or a failure to surgically remove all the dead and infected tissue also reduces a patient's chance of survival.
