Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/
Here's your outdoor tip on necrotizing fasciitis—commonly known as the flesh-eating disease. It is extremely rate, but it is a vicious bacterial infection that causes your body tissue to die destroying skin, muscles, and fat. It develops when the bacteria enters the body usually through a cut or scrape. These bacteria multiply releasing toxins that kill tissue and cut off blood flow to the infected area.
Symptoms of infection include small, red lumps or bumps on the skin that rapidly spread with sweating chills, fever, and nausea. Organ failure and shock are often complications. It’s important to treat a victim immediately to prevent death. Sufferers are usually treated with antibiotics and surgery to remove dead tissue. Amputation is often necessary if the disease spreads through a limb. Patients can undergo skin grafts after the infection is cleared up to help the healing process and for appearance.
This disease is relatively rare with statistical sources estimating about 500 to 1500 individual cases being reported in the United States each year. Mortality rates are as high as 75% with the infection in the central body, but infection in the legs are arms is about 25%. Infection is a medical emergency that will quickly become deadly if not promptly and correctly treated.
Here are some things you should remember about Necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease):
It’s a rapidly spreading infection that results in tissue death (necrosis).
Different kinds of bacterial infection can cause necrotizing fasciitis.
The majority of cases begin with an existing infection or wound.
It’s a serious condition that is often associated with sepsis and widespread organ failure.
Treatment of an infection caused by flesh-eating bacteria involves rapid antibiotic administration and/or surgical removal of the wound area, intravenous administration of fluids, and drugs to support the cardiovascular system.
Good hygiene and wound care can reduce the chance of developing the disease
Necrotizing fasciitis is not usually contagious but it is possible to transmit infectious agents to other people with cross-contaminations of wounds.
Individuals with weak immune systems are at higher risk to develop the disease.
The disease occurs infrequently, but it can occur in almost any area of the body.
People first described this rapidly advancing condition in the 1840s to 1870s. Dr. B. Wilson first termed the condition “necrotizing fasciitis” in 1952. It is likely that the disease had been occurring for many centuries before the 1800s.
Currently, there are many names that have been used to mean the same disease as necrotizing fasciitis. Important in understanding the infection is the fact that whatever the infecting organism(s), once it reaches and grows in connective tissue (fascial planes), the spread of the infection can be so fast (investigators suggest some organisms can progress to involve about 3 centimeters of tissue per hour) that the infection becomes difficult to stop even with both antimicrobial drugs and surgery.
Although reports of this infection are on the rise, this might be more a process of our improved communication systems. It is still very rare. You need to be aware of its existence and be careful exploring areas of still, isolated or captured water. Remember you are particularly susceptible with an open cut or low immune system. Get expert medical treatment immediately when you suspect possible exposure.
This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/
Additional outdoor tips can be received by subscribing to the Outdoor Professor Tips on iTunes or Stitcher. If you enjoy outdoor tips, you’ll also find an e-book at Amazon.com with a collection of the Outdoor Professor Tips.
References-Additional Reading
Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh-Eating Disease)
http://www.medicinenet.com/necrotizing_fasciitis/article.htm
Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh-Eating Bacteria)
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/necrotizing-fasciitis-flesh-eating-bacteria
Woman pastor DIES after contracting flesh-eating bug in SIXTH case of deadly bacteria identified in America
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2159123/Deadly-flesh-eating-bacteria-claims-life-sixth-case-killer-infection-identified.html
Nature Quotient.
eBook @Amazon.com
Outdoor Professor’s Tips: Exploring the Wonders of Nature
eBook @Amazon.com
