Necrotising Fasciitis: Causes, Epidemiology, and Clinical Features

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Introduction:
This paper intends to present a research essay on a dermatological issue
known as Necrotising fasciitis.
Description:
Necrotising fasciitis can be defined as a rare condition that is characterized by
bacterial infection. Although, the disease condition is rare but the impact is of a
serious magnitude. The bacterial infection manifests itself and characteristically
affects the tissue under the skin and facia, which is referred to the skin muscle that
surrounds the external organs (Bailey et al., 2014). The disease is commonly
referred to as the ‘flesh eating disease’. It should be noted in this context that the
causative agent responsible for the disease is not carnivore with respect to
nutritional status, but releases toxins that corrodes the skin and damages the
adjacent tissues (Swain et al., 2013). It should be noted in this context that
Necrotising fasciitis has been studied to progress from a minor injury which includes
a cut or a minor injury. However, the injury gets worse and is worsened by the
bacterial infection. Studies suggest that an early identification of the symptoms can
help in the prevention of the infection to an adverse stage.
Epidemiology:
Research studies indicate that Necrotising fasciitis can be fatal and identify it
as an aggressive skin and soft tissue disorder (Swain et al., 2013). The disorder has
been studied to affect the muscle fascia as well as the subcutaneous tissues.
Necrotising fasciitis has been studied to have an epidemiological prevalence of 0.4 in
every 100,000 people across the United States of America (Swain et al., 2013). Also,
research studies indicate that in certain regions of the world, the disorder manifests
in one out of every 100,000 individuals (Bailey et al., 2014). In addition to this,
statistical figures state that the incidence rate of Necrotising fasciitis is approximately
3.5 cases per 100,000 individuals in Australia (Bailey et al., 2014). The case fatality
percentage has been estimated to be 24%. Also, studies report that between the
years 2000 to 2012, a total of 84 cases of Necrotising fasciitis were reported within
the Northern Territory (Bailey et al., 2014). On an average, patients who were in
between 48-50 years of age were more susceptible to acquire the infection (Mehta et
al., 2013). The most common sites of infection were reported to be the lower limbs,

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upper limbs and tors, head and neck region as well as the region around the scrotum
or the perineum. Studies further reported that despite making use of the antimicrobial
therapy and prompt surgical intervention, a total of 25% patient mortality rate was
reported and 10% of the patients had to undergo amputation (Mehta et al., 2013).
Also, more than half of the affected patients were indigenous in origin and were
unaware of the fatal nature of the infection (Bailey et al., 2014).
Aetiology:
Necrotising fasciitis is caused by different bacterial agents. The causative
agent responsible for the infection is found inside the gut, throat as well as the skin
of people and normally do not cause any problem. However, the causative agent can
potentially come in direct contact with the body tissues through either cuts and
scratches, punctured wounds, surgical sites or infection bites. The infection typically
manifests itself when the bacteria normally present in the skin invades the body
tissues. Research studies suggest that the infection is communicable and can
transfer from one individual to another, but evidence backing the same is rare
(Mehta et al., 2013). The probability of acquiring the disease increases in people
living in unhygienic environment. Research studies also suggest that most commonly
the disease manifests itself in people who have a compromised or suppressed
immune system (Mehta et al., 2013; Goh et al., 2014). Individuals who suffer from
one or more of the physical health conditions such as immunosuppression, Diabetes,
Alcohol/Drug abuse, chronic illnesses or malignancies are at a high risk of
developing the infection (Goh et al., 2014). In addition to this, it is also important to
note here that the condition can occur anywhere in the body but is more common in
the genital region. The main cause of the infection ifs trauma which could be
triggered by an insect bite or an injection. The condition is complicated with the
formation of an abscess or ulcer at the infection site and the infection spreads
through the blood stream. The infection is generally characterized into Type I, Type
II, Type III or Type IV infections (Goh et al., 2014).
While discussing the clinical features of the Necrotising fasciitis health
condition, the outlook of the condition should be mentioned (Misiakos et al., 2014).
As per Glass et al. (2015), the outlook of the disease is completely dependent on the
severity of the health condition and early diagnosis could increase the recovery rate