Parasites, Viruses, and Diseases - A to Z - Flesh Eating Disease

Necrotizing fasciitis is a serious bacterial infection that spreads rapidly and destroys the body's soft tissue. 
This rare disease can be caused by more than one type of bacteria. 
These include:

•  group A Streptococcus (group A strep)
• Klebsiella
• Clostridium
• E. coli
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Aeromonas hydrophila

Group A strep is considered the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis.
Usually, infections from group A strep bacteria are generally mild or moderate and are easily treated. 
But sometimes toxins made by these bacteria destroy the tissue they infect, causing it to die. CDC

The most common way of getting necrotizing fasciitis is when the bacteria enter the body through:

• Break in the skin
• Cut
• Scrape
• Burn
• Insect Bite
• Puncture Wound

 Most people who get necrotizing fasciitis have other health problems that may lower their body's ability to fight infection.
Some of these conditions include:

• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Cancer
• Chronic health conditions that weaken the body's immune system.

If you're healthy, have a strong immune system, and practice good hygiene and proper wound care, your chances of getting necrotizing fasciitis are extremely low.

Symptoms:

• Drainage of pus or blood
• Fever
• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling
• Ulcer 
• Blister
• Black spots on skin
• Chills
• Vomiting 

The person often feels as if the pain seems worse than they would expect with the type of wound that they are seeing on their skin.
The external may not match with the internal.
This may confuse the person and deter them from seeking medical advice..
Personally.. if I have a cut that makes me want to vomit??? I'm gonna go see a Dr. 

When we hear about the Flesh Eating Disease - we think of people with these huge wounds that appear to be so massive and infected and.. icky.
How does a person allow these wounds to get to this stage??
There are a number of reasons.
One being - it moves fast.
Then we see images of what a person looks like after the Dr's have had to remove parts of the flesh in order to stop the bacteria from getting into other parts.

But I don't wanna look at the icky pictures again...


The person became infected with Necrotizing Fasciitis Following Endoscopic Harvesting of the Greater Saphenous Vein for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft.
Black and white makes it easier to look at.

After the vein was harvested - before  any treatment

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 After radical debridement of the wound

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 Mesh graft used to cover wound after treatment

 

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 End result - this is what the persons leg will forever look like

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If you by horrible chance become infected with this disease.. you will be reminded of it for the rest of your life. 

If you survive. 

You will be scared. 

Badly. 

When looking though the images of stages a person goes through.. from infection to removal of dead flesh, to trying to repair the damage...

It is as if they strip the area clean and try to start from scratch. 

Except you can't. 

However skilled a doctor is, however amazing our bodies can be.. we are not made of play-doh. 

You can't just take more out of a container and replace what was cut out. 

Yet. 

Next up - 3d printing