Clinical profile and outcome of the patients with necrotising fasciitis in a tertiary care teaching hospital at rural Puducherry, India

Abstract

Necrotising fasciitis is rapidly progressive inflammation with infection and secondary necrosis. The incidence of it is increasing recent times. The challenge associated with its treatment is identification of the process at an earlier stage to improve outcome and reduce the dreadful complications. To study the socio-demographic, clinical, microbiological, risk factor profile and complications of patients diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis. It was a cross sectional descriptive study carried out in surgery ward of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Patients diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis were included in the study. After detailed clinical and laboratory evaluation appropriate surgical and medical interventions were administered and were followed to note the outcome. Epi Info software version 3.5.3 was used for data entry and statistical analysis. 82% of the study participants were more than 40 years old and 76% of them were males. All of them had fever, pain and tenderness, 76% of them had swelling and 50% of them had foul smelling discharge. The commonest site involved was lower extremity (36%). Diabetes mellitus as a predisposing factor was found in 52%. 84% of the infections were polymicrobial and E. coli was isolated from 74% among them. 34 % had developed complications during hospital stay. Though it is a dreadful infectious condition prompt recognition decreases morbidity and mortality. The risk factors identified, complications occurred needs to be given importance to improve treatment outcome among patients admitted with necrotising fasciitis.