FLESH EATING BACTERIA ALSO KNOWN AS NECROTIZING FASCILITIES

What is Necrotizing Fasciitis?
◦ Necrotizing fasciitis is an infection caused by bacteria. It can destroy skin, fat, and the tissue covering the muscles within a very short time. The disease sometimes is called flesh-eating bacteria. When it occurs on the genitals, it is called Fournier gangrene

How does a person contact this disease?

What are the symptoms of the disease?

◦ Many of the people who hav e dev eloped necrotizing fasciitis hav e been in good health before dev eloping the condition. Your risk of getting this infection is higher if you: ◦ Hav e a weak immune system. ◦ Hav e chronic health problems such as diabetes, cancer, or liv er or kidney disease. ◦ Hav e cuts in your skin, including surgical wounds. ◦ Recently had chickenpox or other v iral infections that cause a rash . ◦ Use steroid medicines, which can lower the body's resistance to infection.

◦ The symptoms often start suddenly after an injury. You may need medical care right away if you hav e pain that gets better ov er 24 to 36 hours and then suddenly gets worse. The pain may be much worse than you would expect from the size of the wound or injury . You may also hav e: ◦ Skin that is red, swollen, and hot to the touch. ◦ A fev er and chills. ◦ Nausea and v omiting. ◦ Diarrhea. ◦ The infection may spread rapidly. It quickly can become life-threatening. You may go into shock and hav e damage to skin, fat, and the tissue cov ering the muscles . (This damage is called gangrene.) Necrotizing fasciitis can lead to organ failure and death.

Is there a cure or a vaccine? what other ways can you prevent getting the disease?

What are the person's chances of survival if they have contracted the disease?

◦ Early treatment of necrotizing fasciitis is critical. The sooner treatment begins, the more likely you will recover from the infection and avoid serious complications, such as limb amputation or death. You may be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital . ◦ Treatment may include:
◦ Surgery that removes infected tissue and fluids to stop the spread of infection. Surgery is almost always needed. Most people need several surgeries to control the infection. Removing limbs (amputation) or organs may be done to save the person's life, depending on how severe the infection is and where it has spread.

◦ As you learned earlier, the key to surv iving flesheating bacteria is early treatment through highdose antibiotics and surgery to remov e