Necrotizing fasciitis is a bacterial infection that is very serious and sometimes fatal. This disease spreads very quickly and destroys soft tissue in your body. This disease is caused by multiple bacteria: group A strep, E.coli, Klebsiella (causes pneumonia), Clostridium (causes diarrhea), Staphylococcus (causes staph infections), and Aeromonas hydrophila (causes diseases in almost all organisms, hard to resist). The bacteria group A strep is the leading cause for necrotizing fasciitis. One of the ways to get necrotizing fasciitis is to have the bacteria get into your body through a cut on your body. This is how the majority of people get necrotizing fasciitis. It can be just a papercut, but if you do not take care of it, you could have severe consequences. You are also more likely and at risk to get necrotizing fasciitis if your body does not have a strong immune system. There are many different symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis. They start as a regular cut, but end up being much worse. The symptoms are pain, swelling, soreness, become red or purple, sores, blisters, black spots, fever, chills, being tired, throwing up, and a lot of pain that is out of proportion for the injury. Since there are many other illnesses and diseases with these symptoms, many people wait to go to the doctor. Waiting only makes it worse. To treat necrotizing fasciitis, you need to go to have surgery to remove the infected area. You will be given antibiotics first, to slow down the bacterial toxins from decaying tissue faster. Surgery is the best way to ensure that the disease is gone, because having surgery to remove the infected area will completely get rid of the disease. The surgery only works if you see your doctor as soon as you think that you ... ... middle of paper ... ... Necrotizing fasciitis is rare, but is becoming more common. It is also very destructive to your body. Necrotizing fasciitis is found everywhere. Since it is caused by a bacteria (or multiple bacteria), if you or a place has that bacteria, you have the chance of getting necrotizing fasciitis. Most people already have multiple bacteria that cause it living in them, or it exists in the location. Sometimes, organisms living in water have caused necrotizing fasciitis, but this is super rare. Necrotizing fasciitis has started to become more common, for unknown reasons. There is no vaccine for this disease either, so you have to take care of cuts to try and prevent it. More males than females get necrotizing fasciitis- a ratio of three to one (3:1). Necrotizing fasciitis means “causing death of tissues”, which is exactly what happens if you have necrotizing fasciitis.
Acute paronychia is most commonly caused by a direct or indirect trauma of the cuticle. Such trauma may be minor and result from usual procedures, such as dishwashing, an injury from a splinter or thorn, onychophagia (nail biting), finger sucking, biting or picking at a hangnail, an ingrown nail, artificial nail application, manicure procedures, or other nail manipulation. This kind of trauma enables bacterial inoculation of the nail and consequential infection, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most common pathogen, although Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas or Proteus may also cause paronychia. Other anaerobic gram-negative bacteria may also be involved, in case the trauma is exposed to oral flora. Except from bacterial infection, acute paronychia may also occur as a manifestation of other disorders affecting the extremities, such as pemphigus vulgaris.
In addition to its traditional clinical manifestations, GAS can also cause serious invasive disease such as necrotizing fasciitis, colloquially known as the flesh-eating disease. First broadly reported during the Civil War, when it was known as gangrene, necrotizing fasciitis occurs when an individual’s subcutaneous fat and superficial fascia become rapidly necrotic. Though incidence data is limited, one study estimated that, worldwide, there are approximately 660,000 cases of invasive GAS disease per year, with 97% of those cases occurring in low-income populations (4). Many microorganisms other than GAS have been linked with necrotizing fasciitis, including Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichica coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the disease is often caused by a polymicrobial infection. However, the most well known causative agent in necrotizing fasciitis cases is usually Group A streptococci (6). Although risk factors for necrotizing fasciitis include diabetes, old age, and immunosuppression, nearly half of all infections occur i...
The majority of clinical cases of laminitis occur at pasture where there is an accumulation of rapidly fermentable non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) such as fructans, simple sugars or starches (Geor, 2010). Pasture-associated laminitis has major economic and welfare implications in the equine sector. Increased risk factors include insulin resistance, increased insulin secretory response, hypertriglyceridaemia and obesity (Asplin, et al., 2007;Carter, et al., 2009 and de Laat, et al., 2010). Insulin resistance has been associated with a number of problems in the horse, most notably laminitis. Insulin resistance can be defined as a physiological condition in which cells have a diminished response to normal actions of the hormone insulin. Insulin is produced but the cells become resistant and are less capable in transporting glucose from the bloodstream to muscle and other tissues. In horses, insulin resistance is associated with a number of diseases such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (Powell, et al., 2002; Hoffman, et al., 2003;Vick, et al., 2006 and Frank, et al., 2009), Equine Cushing Disease (McGowan, et al., 2004 and Walsh, et al., 2009) and Laminitis (Treiber, et al., 2006;Bailey, et al., 2007;McGowan, 2008 and Geor, 2008). Obesity and insulin resistance in ponies has become a common problem and there is a growing awareness on the role that diet and exercise has to play (Jeffcott, et al., 1986; Frank, et al., 2006 and Vick & Adams, 2007). Over-expressed adipocytokines, such as leptin, have been suggested to impair insulin signalling and cause the up regulation of inflammatory cytokines. This then further contributes to impaired insulin signalling and endothelial dysfunction (Radin, et al., 2009). The restriction of energy throu...
There is no single way of contracting necrotizing fasciitis. One patient reported that he caught it while he was at the beach and may have scraped his skin. There are some cases that have been reported after bug or dog bites. We have also seen confirmed drug users who got the infection but declared they didn’t know how the bacteria could have entered their body. There have been numerous cases where injection of illicit drugs can produce infections that present with signs of a simple cutaneous abscess and yet unpredictably evolve into an extensive necrotizing soft tissue infection 1.
Cellulitis is a fairly common bacterial infection of the skin. Cellulitis actually means “inflammation of the cells”. This infection is usually caused by the bacteria Streptococcus or Staphylococcus. Cellulitis infection can occur in anyone, yet there are some risk factors and a more susceptible population. Cellulitis is an “opportunistic” infection which occurs through breaks in the skin. Redness, warmth, swelling and pain are symptoms of this infection. Seeking medical attention is a must for this infection.
What is gangrene? Is it “green”? The word gangrene comes from the Latin word gangreana and the Greek word gangraina, which both mean "purification of tissues". There is no link to the English word "green". (Nordqvist) Gangrene is localized death of soft tissue, caused by prolonged interruption of the blood supply that may result from injury or infection. Human cells require nutrients and oxygen to survive and they get this from blood. If cell blood supply goes down below a certain level, the cells will become damaged and will eventually die. Organisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi attack tissues and cells. Our white blood cells and the Thymus cells (T-cells) form part of our immune system and fight germs. If the blood supply is cut there, will be no white cells or T-cells to stop the organisms from multiplying and causing an infection. (Nordqvist) Diseases in which gangrene is prone to occur include arteriosclerosis, diabetes, Raynaud’s disease, Buerger’s disease, and typhus. It may also occur fro...
Some call it “horror'; and some call it “the super germ';, but now, our always known “regular'; bacteria, those one-celled creatures once considered under control with antibiotics, have invaded our hospitals and headlines with a vengeance. The vengeance used against us is caused by an existing organism called necrotizing fasciitis, the so-called flesh-eating bacteria, caused by Group A streptococcus. What this organism does is progressively destroy the human body tissue all the way to the bone. This organism has amazingly outsmarted us of even our most potent drugs.
The principle sites of nosocomial infections in patients, in order from most common to least common are: urinary tract, surgical wounds, respiratory tract, skin, blood, gastrointestinal tract, and central nervous system (Abedon). According to the CDC, the most common pathogens that cause nosocomial infections are Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeurginosa, and Escherichia coli (EHA). Methicillin resistant Staphylococcal aureus (MRSA) is a strain of bacteria that is commonly...
Bone infection can be as serious condition where bacterial invades the bone. This can be through the bloodstream or by the bacteria entering through the outer surface of the leg. Left untreated, or if the bacteria does not respond to other treatment, damage to the local blood supply may occur. Certain disease processes can contribute to the likelihood and seriousness of bone infection. If the infection is treated unsuccessfully by other means, surgery may be recommended. The infected area of bone is where the cut is made and the infected area removed.
Sepsis is defined as a systemic inflammatory response caused by an infective process such as viral, bacterial or fungal (Holling, 2011). Assessment on a patient and starting treatment for sepsis is based on identifying several factors including the infective source, antibiotic administration and fluid replacement (Bailey, 2013). Because time is critical any delay in identifying patients with sepsis will have a negatively affect the patients’ outcome. Many studies have concluded every hour in delay of treatment mortality is increased by 7% (Bailey, 2013). Within this assignment I will briefly discuss the previous practice and the recent practice including the study based on sepsis. I will show what enabled practice to change and I will use the two comparisons of current practice and best practice.
Many people die a year from infection. Infection is one of the leading causes of death. There are many different precautions to prevent infection that are well known. However, anyone is susceptible to infection, healthy or not. I am healthy person physically and mentally. However, a healthy person can still be susceptible to infection. I was infected by the bacteria Escherichia coli, more commonly known as E. coli. While infected by a pathogen my body went through all of the periods of illness because the bacteria had made it through four out of five components that made it lethal. It led to a major kidney infection.
The most significant problems are: Infection spreading from the bone into the joints and cause septic arthritis. Also, in children, osteomyelitis commonly occurs in the epiphyseal plates (growth plates) which can cause complications with the growth of the child. Skin cancer can also occur from pus draining from open sores caused by osteomyelitis. Finally, if infection of the bone is prolonged and the blood supply to that portion of bone is cut off then osteonecrosis, which is the death of bone, can ensue. ("Osteomyelitis",
Sepsis is a “cunning, insidious and non-specific illness” (Raynor, 2012) but progression can be rapturous with a sudden catastrophic circulatory collapse and mortality up to 50%. (Angus et al., 2001) Over five million cases arise per year of maternal sepsis, resulting in an estimated 62,000 maternal deaths globally (WHO, 2008) During the 18th and 19th century, puerperal sepsis resulted in 50% of maternal deaths over Europe (Loudon, 2000). The World Health Organisation (WHO) defined puerperal sepsis as ‘infection of the genital tract occurring at any time between the rupture of membranes or labour, and the 42nd day postpartum, of which two or more of the following are present: pelvic pain, fever 38.5C or more, abnormal vaginal discharge, abnormal smell of discharge, and delay in the rate of reduction of size of uterus (less than 2 cm a day during the first 8 days)’ (WHO, 1992).
Wherever there is a cut or abrasion, there is always the chance of the wound becoming septic due to a bacterial infection. This is even more likely when the wound occurred from an iron object, because then there remains a chance of it becoming infected by tetanus
Anyone who has a weakened immune system is at risk of developing cellulitis. People who have type 2 diabetes are usually the people you will see in the hospital with cellulitis. This is because high glucose levels are “breeding grounds” for infections; also these people are commonly overweight which is also a risk factor of developing cellulitis. Another reason people with type 2 diabetes are at the highest risk for cellulitis is they commonly have something called diabetic nerve pain, meaning they lose some of the feeling in their feet so if the get a cut they don’t even know it. Other people at risk for developing cellulitis are people who have chronic swelling because that puts them at risk for their skin cracking thus allowing bacteria to enter. Intravenous drug abusers are also at risk for developing cellulitis.