Necrotising fasciitis
Overview
Necrotising fasciitis, also known as the "flesh-eating disease", is a rare and life-threatening infection that can happen if a wound gets infected. It needs to be treated in hospital straight away.
Symptoms
Symptoms of necrotising fasciitis can develop quickly within hours or over a few days. At first you may have: intense pain or loss of feeling near to a cut or wound – the pain may seem much worse than you would usually expect from a cut or woundswelling of the skin around the affected areaflu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headache and tiredness Later symptoms can include: being sick (vomiting) and diarrhoeaconfusionblack, purple or grey blotches and blisters on the skin (these may be less obvious on black or brown skin) Necrotising fasciitis is very rare. The symptoms are similar to more common skin infections likecellulitis.
Causes
Necrotising fasciitis is an infection that can happen after getting a wound. It causes damage to the deep layers of your skin. The infection may get into the body through: cuts and scratchesburns and scaldsinsect bitessurgeryinjecting drugs You may be more at risk from developing necrotising fasciitis if you havediabetesor a weakened immune system.
Treatment
Necrotising fasciitis gets worse quickly and can be fatal. It must be treated in hospital as soon as possible. Treatment will usually include: antibioticssurgery to remove the affected area Even after successful treatment, there may be long-term changes in how your body looks and how you move or use the affected part of your body. Sometimesamputationof affected limbs is needed. You may need further surgery andphysiotherapyto help you recover.