Early Diagnosis And Prognosis Of Nekrotizing Fasciitis: A Retrospective Analysis Of 34 Patients

Present study was performed to determine the methods for early diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis (NF), to indicate the importance of the early surgery and its repetition when necessary, and to predict the prognosis using laboratory tests. Study was performed with 34 patients who were diagnosed NF between 2005 and 2010. Prognosis were retrospectively inspected in terms of the age, gender, etiology, predisposing factors, laboratory findings, the application period, the number of surgical debridement, infection location and culture result of the patients. The most important etiological factors were found to be surgical intervention and local soft tissue infection. Among the predisposing factors of obesity and diabetes were found to be the most common. All patients had laboratory risk indicator for necrotizing fasciitis (LRINEC) score of 7 or above. The mean LRINEC score was found to be 9.1. Abdominal, groin and perineum were the common infection locations. Only 11 patients admitted to the hospital, diagnosed and received treatment for NF within the first 48 hours after the first symptoms. The wound cultures were positive in 26 patients. Most commonly grown microorganisms were E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Four patients who died during treatment were advanced age (mean 74.7), admitted late (5-10 days), had high LRINEC scores (mean, 12) and chronic diseases (diabetes, obesity, chronic lymphocytic leukemia). The patients who have high LRINEC score, over the age of 65 and admitted in 5 days or more after the first symptoms, were observed to have poor prognosis. Whenever a patient is suspected to have NF, physical examination, laboratory tests and invasive diagnostic procedures should be performed immediately in order to have an early diagnosis.