Necrotising fasciitis

Introduction

Necrotising fasciitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin, and surrounding muscles and organs (fascia). It's sometimes called the "flesh-eating disease", although the bacteria that cause itdon't "eat" flesh they release toxins that damage nearby tissue. Necrotising fasciitiscan start from a relatively minor injury, such as a small cut, but gets worse very quickly and can belife-threatening if it's not recognised and treated early on. This page covers: Symptoms When to get medical help Treatments Outlook Causes Prevention

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Articles for necrotising fasciitis

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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