NECROTIZING FASCIITIS

Course overview

NECROTIZING FASCIITIS IS A SUBSET OF AGGRESSIVE SKIN AND SOFT TISSUE INFECTIONS (SSTIS) THAT CAUSE NECROSIS OF THE MUSCLE FASCIA AND SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUES. THE INFECTION TYPICALLY TRAVELS ALONG THE FASCIAL PLANE, WHICH HAS A POOR BLOOD SUPPLY. INITIALLY, THE OVERLYING TISSUES ARE UNAFFECTED, POTENTIALLY DELAYING DIAGNOSIS AND SURGICAL INTERVENTION. THE INFECTIOUS PROCESS CAN RAPIDLY SPREAD, CAUSING INFECTION OF THE FASCIA AND PERIFASCIAL PLANES AS WELL AS SECONDARY INFECTION OF THE OVERLYING AND UNDERLYING SKIN, SOFT TISSUE, AND MUSCLE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION, TREATMENT, AND PROGNOSIS OF NECROTIZING FASCIITIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.