Tissue Eating Infections

There are some horrendous bacteria around that can attack and infect the human body, appearing to literally eat away at the flesh. This is known as necrotizing faciitis and it can spread so rapidly, that sometimes the only answer is to amputate. The cause of the infection can vary from patient to patient, as can the severity. There also isn't only one type of bacteria that causes the disease, which makes it all that much harder to prevent and treat. The most well known bacteria is streptococcus. This nasty bug can get into an open wound, either from a traumatic event or even from surgery in a sterile operating room, and begin their attack right away. Sometimes a person or doctor may not realize the bacteria have started their attack until too late.

The symptoms usually start with pain at the infection site, which would be a normal reaction to a wound, but then very quickly, the area can swell and redden. The next stage is when the bacteria begin their destruction of the tissue and the skin can have raised bumps, welt like lumps or blisters. The patient by this time will be running a fever since the body would be trying to rid itself of the infection. Depending on the severity and insideousness of the bacteria, the patient could decline quickly, and in the worst cases, die after a few days.

The bacteria are actually releasing poisons, toxins, into the body. When the body reacts to these toxins, it sends macrophages, cells that hunt and kill invading bacteria, to attack the bacteria. The macrophages are the ones responsible for the vast damage to the tissues when they produce oxygen radicals. The cure involves a course of antibiotics which target the bacteria, but the key to treating necrotizing faciitis is to get the antibiotic treatment started immediately after diagnosis. Cultures and careful examination of the wound site should be done to determine the next stage of treatment, which could be a surgical removal of the infected area. Sometimes this is successful at preventing spread, but when it isn't, amputation is likely the only treatment left.

Even with quick diagnosis and treatment, the patient still has a 25 percent chance of dying. Those who survive will probably end up with some form of disfigurement from the surgical removal of tissue or from an amputation, but at least they would be alive. If necrotizing faciitis is left untreated, the mortality is 100 percent. Thankfully, it's still a very rare disease, but receives a lot of attention due to its rapid onset and horrible results.