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Necrotising Soft Tissue Infection in the Twenty-First Century—a Clinical and Microbiological Spectrum Analysis

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Abstract

Necrotising soft tissue infection (NSTI) is a lethal infectious disease with rapid progression towards early hemodynamic failure, end organ damage, and death. A prospective observational study was conducted to analyse the clinical and microbiological spectrum of NSTI cases. All patients of NSTI presenting to the emergency department and consenting to participate in the study were included. Demographic details, clinical findings, laboratory parameters, operative findings, length of stay, and final outcome were noted in a study proforma. A total of 100 patients were included in the study, among whom 84 were males and 16 were females. The average age was 65.8 years with SD of 13.4. The most common presenting symptom was pain followed by redness of skin. Positive microbial culture was noted in 43 cases, and Streptococcus was the most common organism that had grown. The average length of stay was around 21 days, and patients underwent on an average 7 procedures. There were 16 fatal outcomes, and age, renal function, haemoglobin levels, bilirubin levels, and blood sugar levels were found to be significant predictors of mortality. NSTI, even in today’s era, continue to cause substantial mortality and morbidity. Aggressive debridement and broad spectrum antibiotics form the mainstay of therapy.

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Acknowledgements

We, the authors, of this article would like to acknowledge the guidance and mentoring given by Dr. Sandeep Mehrotra in completing this study. An astute clinician, an artful surgeon, and a wonderful teacher; his untimely demise has left a void too large to be filled.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, India

    Balachandra Menon, Murali Krishna, Ashwin Galagali & Sandeep Mehrotra

  2. Military Hospital, Holta Camp, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Murali Krishna

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  1. Balachandra Menon
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  2. Murali Krishna
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  3. Ashwin Galagali
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  4. Sandeep Mehrotra
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Correspondence to Murali Krishna.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Balachandra Menon, Dr. Murali Krishna, Dr. Ashwin Galagali, and Dr. Sandeep Mehrotra declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Author Sandeep Mehrotra has passed away.

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Menon, B., Krishna, M., Galagali, A. et al. Necrotising Soft Tissue Infection in the Twenty-First Century—a Clinical and Microbiological Spectrum Analysis. Indian J Surg 83, 66–71 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-020-02268-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-020-02268-x

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