Necrotising fasciitis
Causes ofnecrotising fasciitis
Necrotising fasciitis can be caused by several different types of bacteria.
The bacteria that cause the infection live in the gut, in the throat, or on the skin of some people, where they dont usually cause any serious problems.
However, in rare cases, they can cause necrotising fasciitis if they get into deep tissue either through the bloodstream, or an injury or wound, such as:
- cuts and scratches
- insect bites
- puncture wounds caused by injecting drugs
- surgical wounds
Necrotising fasciitis typically occurs when bacteria already on the skin or in the body get into deep tissue.The infection can also be spread from person to person, but this is very rare.
Anyone can get necrotising fasciitis including young and otherwise healthy people but it tends to affect older people and those in poor general health.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Necrotising fasciitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection that affects the soft tissue under the skin. Find out what the symptoms are and how it's treated.
Symptoms of necrotising fasciitis
The symptoms of necrotising fasciitis develop quickly over hours or days. They may not be obvious at first and can be similar to less serious conditions such as Bird flu , gastroenteritis or cellulit
When to get medical help
Necrotising fasciitis is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department as soon as possible if you think you have it. Call 999 f
Treatments for necrotising fasciitis
Necrotising fasciitis needs to be treated in hospital. The main treatments are: surgery to remove infected tissue this may be repeated several times to ensure all theinfected tissue is removed, a
Outlook for necrotising fasciitis
Necrotising fasciitiscan progress very quickly and lead to serious problems such as blood poisoning (sepsis) and organ failure. Even with treatment, it's estimated thatone or twoin everyfivecases are
Causes ofnecrotising fasciitis
Necrotising fasciitis can be caused by several different types of bacteria. The bacteria that cause the infection live in the gut, in the throat, or on the skin of some people, where they dont usuall
Preventing necrotising fasciitis
There's no vaccine for necrotising fasciitis and it's not always possible to prevent it. The following measures may help to reduce your risk: Treat wounds quickly after stopping any bleeding, clea
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