A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN FOURNIER’S GANGRENE- ARE THEY USEFUL IN PREDICTING SURVIVAL?

Abstract

Fournier’s gangrene is a rapidly progressive infection of the perineum, external genitalia and perianal region. There are few prognostic factors of Fournier’s gangrene such as Diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, sepsis, malnutrition and few laboratory values such as reduced albumin, reduced haemoglobin, electrolyte imbalance. This retrospective study was conducted in Dr.D.Y.Patil medical college, Hospital and Research centre located in Pimpri, Pune between June 2021 to June 2022. In the present study the most important prognostic factors of Fournier’s gangrene were evaluated and the importance to know the prognostic factors was enumerated. The present study is conducted in about 30 patients seen in the given 1year time period at our institute. Their medical records were reviewed with respect to medical history, symptoms, physical examination laboratory values, extent of disease and duration of symptoms. Majority of the patients presented in their 5th, 6th and 7th decades of life. All patients taken in the study were male. The time between onset of the symptoms and referral to the hospital plays a major role. Polymicrobial infections are frequent in these patients. Anorectal infections were the underlying disease in most of the cases. The mortality rate in this study is about 10%. Detecting the prognostic factors helps in rapid diagnosis and management of the patient by the surgeon.