Management of a heavily exuding, painful wound with necrotising subcutaneous infection

Ovens, N.; Fairhurst, Jo

doi:10.12968/jowc.2002.11.1.26131

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The involved area progressively enlarges in widening circles unless treated appropriately by both antibiotics and wide surgical excision of all infected tissue. 100 The differential diagnosis of these lesions includes pyoderma gangrenosum, which can develop at sites of trauma, such as a postoperative wound, and amoebic ulcers. Supervening myonecrosis or necrotizing fasciitis should be suspected if the patient develops ecchymoses, bullae, crepitus, wet gangrene or anaesthesia of the overlying skin, especially in conjunction with systemic toxicity or laboratory evidence of rhabdomyolysis or disseminated intravascular coagulation.…”

Section: Risk Factor/settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complicated infections of skin and skin structures: when the infection is more than skin deep

DiNubile¹

2004

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

179

168

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Skin and skin-structure infections are common, and range from minor pyodermas to severe necrotizing infections. Complicated infections are defined as involving abnormal skin or wounds, occurring in compromised hosts, or requiring surgical intervention. Classification schemes for these infections are varied and confusing. Distinguishing characteristics include the aetiological agent(s), clinical context and findings, depth of tissue involvement and rate of progression. The most common pathogens are aerobic Gram-positive cocci, but complicated infections frequently involve Gram-negative bacilli and anaerobic bacteria. Initial antibiotic therapy is usually empirical, and later modified by the results of stains and cultures of wound specimens. Broad-spectrum coverage is frequently needed for complicated infections. Ertapenem is a once-a-day parenteral Group 1 carbapenem antibiotic, recently licensed in the USA and Europe, which may assume an important role in treating some complicated skin and skin-structure infections. Surgical debridement is important for many complicated infections, and is the critical element in managing necrotizing fasciitis and myonecrosis.

show abstract

Section: Risk Factor/settingmentioning

confidence: 99%