• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Necrotizing soft tissue infection

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Definition:

Necrotizing soft-tissue infection is a severe type of tissue infection that can involve the skin, subcutaneous fat, the muscle sheath (fascia), and the muscle. It can cause gangrene, tissue death, systemic disease, and death.

Alternative Names:

Necrotizing fasciitis; Fasciitis - necrotizing; Flesh-eating bacteria; Soft tissue gangrene; Gangrene - soft-tissue

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Necrotizing subcutaneous infection or fasciitis can be caused by a variety of bacteria including oxygen-using bacteria ( aerobic ) or oxygen-avoiding bacteria ( anaerobic ). A very severe and usually fatal fasciitis is caused by a deadly species of streptococcus called "flesh-eating bacteria" by the press.

This type of infection develops when bacteria enter the body, usually through a minor skin injury or abrasion. The bacteria begin to grow and release toxins that:

• Directly kill tissue
• Interfere with the blood flow to the tissue
• Digest materials in the tissue, which rapidly spreads the bacteria
• Cause widespread effects, such as shock

Infection may begin as a small reddish painful spot or bump on the skin. This quickly changes to a painful bronzed or purplish patch that expands rapidly. The center may become black and dead ( necrotic ). The skin may break open. Visible expansion of the infection may occur in less than an hour.

Symptoms may include fever, sweating, chills, nausea, dizziness, profound weakness, and finally shock. Without treatment death can occur rapidly.

• Review Date: 11/9/2005
• Reviewed By: Kenneth Wener, M.D., Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.