How does necrosis spread

One is a dry, thick, leathery tissue usually a tan, brown, or black color. The other is often yellow, tan, green, or brown and might be moist, loose, and stringy in appearance. Necrotic tissue will eventually become black, hard, and leathery.

When large areas of tissue become necrotic, this is known as gangrene. Gangrene is death of body tissue due to a lack of blood flow or a serious bacterial infection that requires urgent care. Is there a way to prevent necrosis from occurring in the first place?

Some basic first steps to helping include:. This is often due to underlying conditions and other health issues. Necrosis can lead to increased pain and leave the affected skin vulnerable to further damage and recurring injury. Since necrotic tissue can also harbor pathogenic organisms, it can lead to infection if left unchecked.

As a result, it is often necessary for the dead tissue to be removed before proper healing can begin. The process of removing necrotic dead tissue is known as debridement. However, more often, many different types of bacteria are involved in a necrotizing infection including: Enterococci Staphylococcus aureus Clostridium perfringens Anaerobic and gram negative bacteria such as E.

For this reason, your healthcare providers may recommend a treatment that can fight many different infections. Delaying treatment increases your risk for a more serious problem. Who is at risk for necrotizing soft tissue infection?

What are the symptoms of a necrotizing soft tissue infection? See your healthcare provider right away for any of these symptoms: Pain that hurts more than you think it should, based on the size of the wound or sore A wound accompanied by a fever higher than How is a necrotizing soft tissue infection diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will likely ask you about: Your medical and travel history If you've recently been bitten by an animal or spider If there was an injury to the affected area which was soiled or contaminated with saliva from the mouth If you've been exposed to slightly salty brackish water or saltwater Whether you've eaten raw seafood Whether you have a history of intravenous IV drug use If you've developed a necrotizing soft tissue infection as a result of surgery, it may be slower moving and your skin at the wound site may even look normal at first.

These could include: Blood tests, including a complete blood cell count X-rays to detect air in soft tissues MRI scan Tissue culture to determine which type of bacteria is present Your medical team will check test results for unsuspected organisms and also for bacteria that are hard to treat with the usual antibiotics, which may prompt a change in medicine. How is a necrotizing soft tissue infection treated?

Treatment must be aggressive and started quickly to be effective. It might include most or all of the following: Removal of the infected tissue. This is to prevent the spread of the infection. The process is known as surgical debridement. Antibiotics or antifungal treatments. These medicines fight the infection at its source. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. With this therapy you will spend time in a pressurized chamber that increases the amount of oxygen available for you to breathe and for your red blood cells to take in.

This is thought to help in wound healing. Tetanus immunization. Your healthcare provider might also recommend a tetanus shot to protect against additional infection. What are the complications of a necrotizing soft tissue infection? Can a necrotizing soft tissue infection be prevented? To help prevent these infections: Do foot checks and skin checks.

If you have diabetes or a weak immune system, always check your feet and skin so that you can find and treat any small sores as soon as they appear. Do not let them enlarge and become more vulnerable to infection. Care for wounds and surgical sites carefully.

Follow your healthcare provider's instructions when caring for wounds and surgical sites to prevent infection and keep the area clean. Learn about Vibrio wound infections. Public health experts believe group A Streptococcus group A strep are the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis. This web page only focuses on necrotizing fasciitis caused by group A strep bacteria. However, people can also get necrotizing fasciitis after an injury that does not break the skin blunt trauma.

Necrotizing means causing the death of tissues. Fasciitis means inflammation of the fascia the tissue under the skin that surrounds muscles, nerves, fat, and blood vessels. The infection often spreads very quickly. Early symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis can include:. See a doctor right away if you have these symptoms after an injury or surgery. Even though minor illnesses can cause symptoms like these, people should not delay getting medical care.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a very serious illness that requires care in a hospital. Antibiotics and surgery are typically the first lines of defense if a doctor suspects a patient has necrotizing fasciitis. Since necrotizing fasciitis can spread so rapidly, patients often must get surgery done very quickly. Doctors also give antibiotics through a needle into a vein IV antibiotics to try to stop the infection. Sometimes, however, antibiotics cannot reach all of the infected areas because the bacteria have killed too much tissue and reduced blood flow.

When this happens, doctors have to surgically remove the dead tissue. It is not unusual for someone with necrotizing fasciitis to end up needing multiple surgeries. In serious cases, the patient may need a blood transfusion.