Flesh Eating Disease - Necrotizing Fasciitis- Infectious Disease Doctor Explains

[@blancaresendiz110]

Recovering from this bacteria. 4 months in the hospital 6 surgeries later i consider my self extremely fortunate to be alive.

[@huwguyver4208]

Glad to hear you made it! All the best with your recovery.

[@Wid_has_friends]

Wait u. Can only survive for two days

[@blancaresendiz110]

@@Wid_has_friends i made it.

[@stephanieinglett8569]

Back in 2002 I had a bilateral mastectomy. I had 3 drain tubes coming out of my chest into bulbs. After being home for a week, I think, One of the tubes fell out. I went to my Doctor and he put it back in. The next thing I know a day or so later I had a 105 temperature. Doctor told me to go to the hospital. I had a staph 3:16 infection which caused me to this flesh eating disease where my right breast had been. I was on strong IV Antibiotics. Every day they had to send me to surgery to debrid me. It wouldn't stop spreading. One of the doctors in the group came to see me. I think he was the oldest doctor in the group. Anyway, He started packing gauze with vinegar In the wound. It got changed several times a day. A little more debridment And things finally started turning around. When I got to go home I was still on IV Antibiotics for 10 more days. I finally fully recovered and The only lasting Thing is that I have an indentation where they had to do all of the surgeries. Then start a chemo for 6 months. It was a lot to deal with but I would do it over again if it was going to keep me alive.

[@disqusrubbish5467]

Wow, glad you're doing ok. The vinegar is interesting. I had a skin infection and my dermatologist had me use vinegar on it until they could squeeze me in. It actually worked.

[@circa1890]

Thank you for your story - so glad that it ended well.. I've always used vinegar externally for weird little marks, etc. and drink 2tbls with 3c water every morning. Kept me healthy for 50+ years so possibly there's somwthing to it. Wish there were better studies on it.

[@markbeauchamp2053]

My brother died from this in 2022 at age 63. He let it go undiagnosed too long and his existing heart problems prevented surgery (amputation). Both of his legs from the knee down became raw meat. Debridement was too painful to perform. The infection began to destroy his internal organs and he eventually succumbed to it. I swear it was as painful as any condition I've ever heard of. If you even think that you are being affected by this, SEE A WOUND SPECIALIST IMMEDIATELY!

[@darlenericotta]

How scary! Thank all of you doctors for the information. Bless you all!❤❤

[@RichRich1955]

People with wounds going into the warm ocean have been getting it

[@twinbee13monsterhunter]

Especially on the west coast of Florida

[@georgevirginia3785]

The video didn't address how to protect against or avoid, so i googled it: Avoid contamination Don't go swimming, use hot tubs, or go into other bodies of water if you have a break in your skin. Avoid putting your wounds in situations where they could become contaminated. See a doctor See a doctor right away if you've been in close contact with someone who has necrotizing fasciitis and you notice any symptoms of infection, such as pain, swelling, redness, or fever. You should also see a doctor for any deep or serious cuts or punctures

[@RichRich1955]

There's a waterproof, flexible tape that's good . Not 100% I'm sure

[@Katy32344]

When I was a kid growing up in S FL, we would always go into the ocean with scratched knees and such.

[@fancyfrancy2244]

@@Katy32344exactly! The salt healed them!

[@jamesmacleod9382]

@@Katy32344 When I was a kid in Trinidad we did the same.

[@H.K.5]

Are showers fine? I cut my knee recently and I went straight into the shower afterwards.

[@syusi]

I had a buddy who was an orthopedic surgeon. He told me about a routine knee surgery where his patient already had, or got, this flesh eating disease. He had to amputate above the knee. He got kind of hollow talking about it. The poor patient went under thinking they were going to have their knee repaired and woke up without a leg. At least they lived. No rhyme or reason. Enjoy every cup of coffee. Thanks for your work.

[@lilaalexander9449]

0

[@celestebaker4899]

I was 50 years old when I thought I had the flu. By the time I got to the ER I was septic and renal failure. I almost lost both of my legs but my surgeon was amazing and saved my life

[@Kerri_Kristina_Z]

We live in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay..My uncle dropped a crab pots off of his pier..one day he pulled up a one of his metal crab pots and it hit his shin causing a cut.. a few days later he developed a high fever and flu like symptoms had went to the hospital and was transferred to John Hopkins Hospital ..he developed the flesh eating bacteria and almost lost his leg..he was hospitalized for weeks.. he ended up with kidney damage and damage to his heart valve. Strangely enough there was also another gentleman on the same floor of the hospital who had just lost his arm to the same bacteria

[@sewgardens]

I once bumped top of my foot slightly, later noticed nylon stocking embedded in skin. Went to bed woke up with bad pain in foot, was slimy green red streak to knee. Scrubbed everything I could find into it, tea tree, lysol bleach. 3 hours later looked better. Scared me SO bad!.

[@tezt777]

Had NF 2021 and the infection started in my left eye. For the people wondering how it starts, it can be anything. A small scratch on a leg while cutting the hedge, a mosquito bite during the summer. Or in my case, a sore eye that I tried to clean with some cotton pads, but apparently I was instead introducing Strep A bacteria to it. It took little more than 14 hours from my eye started to swell a bit (with no pain) until I was in full septic shock in the intensive care unit with no pulse in my arms and legs. I am glad to be alive, but also, as someone wrote further down, "I never really saw success" which is accurately put. There is so much emotional trauma from all the pain, the surgeries and the loss of function. This disease leaves you broken.

[@lilaalexander9449]

I also had the bacteria in my left eye and lost total vision. In Harborview Seattle for a month. A lot of residual misery continues. Hope you are progressing with a healthy recovery.

[@mae8861]

Sooo how do you get this? Exposure to an open wound? Exposure to what, where. From other people who have it? Polluted water? Sitz bath? From being in hospital for something else? What?

[@ctwriter1670]

Exactly what I wanted to know!! I had heard open wounds are a factor…

[@YUmMies24]

Streptococcus bacteria causes this

[@twinbee13monsterhunter]

I know people on the west coast of Florida sometimes get flesh eating bacteria by swimming in warm stagnant water in the summer time usually they have a small cut or open wound. Especially after Hurricanes.

[@jamesmacleod9382]

Make an effort not get diabetes and work your calf muscles to keep the blood moving in you lower legs. You can't do much more than that. When your blood stops moving it clots and the cells they supply start to die.

[@shariqsaifi6309]

I lost my father to this, he suffered from diabetic foot. This shouldn't be taken lightly.

[@pintsizestories196]

My friend's husband died from this . He was in his forties and had a fairly minor wound on his ankle but did not go to the doctor or hospital soon enough. He was hospitalized finally but complications were too severe.

[@kevinking5079]

How people get it would have been helpful info.

[@KristaJ73]

I got mine from the Step A virus. How it was explained to me by the disease specialist is, I got strep A but instead of having strep throat it burrowed down into my body and grew . Within signs of seeing anything to being rushed into surgery it was less than a week. Went to a walk in clinic on a Monday. It was about the size of a quarter, They said it was cellulitis. Wed I went to emergency in pain and it was the size of a dollar. He said it was a deep infection and to put hot compresses on it to bring it to the surface. By Friday I was in so much pain it felt like acid and smelled so foul. I went to emergency and refused to leave. They lanced it and had me stay in emergency. By 3 in the morning Saturday a disease specialist came looked at it and rushed me to emergency. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks and was sent home with a huge hole from front to 1/4 of my side gone. I had a machine attached to me for months to help close the wound. They expected it to take 6 months to close the hole. Luckily it took 3

[@markvanderhaeghe6639]

So I got this this year, and it can happen so easily basically if you have strp A bacteria and it gets into a open wound it basically starts eating into your deeper tissue areas and has become necrotizing fasciitis

[@KristaJ73]

@@markvanderhaeghe6639 it can also happen with no open wound. I had no wound. That’s why it took them over a week to figure out what caused this. They had me on every IV antibiotic the hospital had to treat it until they figured it out. I tasted alcohol for over a week. Sorry you had it.

[@sharonkelly5437]

You are great teachers! Could you talk about sepsis sometime?

[@GreggBB]

Thanks for doing this topic! Knowing wat to look for is important for us to know---very important!

[@Lori-zh2hv]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Learning more about things like this is very important!

[@richardbrewis436]

Bless you all!♥♥

[@richardblue1941]

A friend had flesh eating disease. It was caused by a colon tumor. Removing the tumor was the cure along with the treatment you discussed.

[@KristaJ73]

I had this on my side last year. Nothing was there and within a week I was being rushed into surgery and was in hospital for 3 weeks. It was excruciating and smelled like a portapotty on a hot summer day. I went to a walk in and they said it was cellulitis. 2 days later it was taking over my whole side. Went to emergency and they said it was a deep infection and to put hot compresses to bring it to surface. Worste thing ever. I went back to the emergency and refused to leave. They brought in a disease specialist and gave me 5 minutes to call my husband and rushed me into emergency surgery. I was lucky they got it all the first round. Took almost 6 months to heal and close the huge hole that started on my stomach all the way to my back. They had me on every antibiotic they had continuously for 4 days until they discovered what caused it.

[@PC-dn4fs]

I had this on my eyelid. By the time I got to ER, I was septic. Went through 2 surgeries, & a month of Vancomycin which caused C-Diff & a fecal transplant. What a nightmare!! But I'm alive!

[@fancyfrancy2244]

@@PC-dn4fs How in the heck did it get on your eye lid!???

[@PC-dn4fs]

⁠@@fancyfrancy2244Somehow I got Strep on my eye. Mystery

[@robsargent8611]

It’s incredible that our immune system can do so much for us as well so little when with cancer cell or to much causing the initial problems to be exacerbated.

[@Tom-Yum-Gai]

I'm in Thailand (where NF is almost common, knew a guy who burned his leg on his moto exhaust who got and ignored it until he had to ship home to UK where they probably removed his lower leg) and stepping out a family home door, the swinging type that is set wrong so it goes in and out and in and out slowly closing and it catches my back heel and removes a long strip of skin over the Achilles tendon. OK, I heal well so no prob except THAT area flexes constantly anytime you walk keeping certain spots open. Maybe a week later after walkin all around, visiting a family farm, etc. I see a red rash that's growing daily. My friends all say oh poo, it's just a rash, but *I* have heard about NF and get someone to take me to a local government hospital in a dink town near us. Admitting nurse takes one look and hustles me over to the ER section and a Doc shows up, great English...I get a shot and 2 antibiotics to take for 2 weeks, come back then he says. Works a treat, much reduced, almost gone. Go back, and another doctor looks and with a smile says "no cut....No cut" hahaha. I get another round of 2 antibiotics for 2 weeks and it is GONE. Because this is not uncommon there they knew just what to do. I hate to think of what might have happened if I had this locally. Cost? just over $100. I have as much of my medical stuff done in THAILAND as the USA is about insurance/money and I just do NOT trust them.

[@TalkingWithDocs]

Thanks for sharing. Glad you are ok

[@carolrobinson7215]

Hubby had this after knee replacement surgery. He did not survive. There was another person in ICU with this and survived. Apparently where we live is a “hotbed” for staph infections.

[@TalkingWithDocs]

Carol we are so sorry to hear this.

[@Jangmo31]

I'm surprised at how rare you say this condition is. As a lab technologist working in a medium-sized hospital in Ottawa, I can say we routinely get cases of this and in one particularly bad month this spring, we had 3 patients within 3 days in ICU with necrotizing fasciitis due to invasive group A strep. In addition to antibiotics and surgery, all required massive doses of IVIG (which we issue from blood bank) and as the docs mentioned in the video we do unfortunately receive amputated limbs in the lab for some of these patients. In every single case (that I was aware of anyway), the affected patient was either a diabetic or an IV drug user.

[@blancaresendiz110]

@@Jangmo31 i am neither a drug user nor diabetic

[@Dawna-gp1zk]

Wondering: how do people get this condition? Where is the bacteria encountered? Result of infection? Curious....

[@sdamom621]

Exposure can occur by: Wounds: Such as cuts, scrapes, burns, insect bites, or wounds that come into contact with fresh or seawater Internal organs: Such as a punctured or perforated colon, rectum, or anus Sexual organs: Such as direct spread from a sexual organ Close contact: Such as touching an infected person's wound, kissing, or sharing drinking cups, forks, spoons, or cigarettes

[@benjaminzare122]

Thanks. Simple and well-explained. That's what they focused in pathology courses.

[@greenquiltsgalore1326]

Strep infections are dreadful.

[@FayWeed]

My former mother-in-law had this twice. Eventually she died from it a couple years later after the first diagnosis. She also had other health issues.

[@tado6725]

Not that rare condition as you says! I'm working on surgical unit and we have patients with necrotizing fasciitis very often! As of today there is two patients on my unit with this ugly disease :(

[@GrowingonVancouverIsland]

I had a patient with this year's ago. Went fishing got a cut in his foot. Was diabetic and less then 24 hours later needed a leg amputation! Insane how fast it happened

[@ptos8262]

My dog died of this, we don’t know how he got it. It was the first time I ever heard of this

[@susanproctor7512]

Gives me shivers!

[@MynewTennesseeHome]

I never get to that point. I've had occasions where this might have been on the cusp. I scrub the tar out of the wound, put on a usnea dbl tincture, antibiotic ointment and raw honey. If not resolved quickly I would definitely go to ER.

[@kdgeckoknits274]

It would have been good to discuss necrotizing fasciitis versus cellulitis and other bacterial skin infections that present with similar symptoms. My husband has had cellulitis 3 times. Each time a feeling of sickness, nausea, fatigue overcame him, and quite rapidly. The first time, the bacteria must have entered through a skin lesion in the hand because I noticed a red line moving up my husband's forearm. We rushed to the hospital ER. We believe this first incident was due to a scratch from a piece of coral in hubby's saltwater fish tank (he had cleaned the tank that morning).

[@HermannTheGreat]

Seen it several times, keep your hygiene up at home. If you get exposed to lots of dirty areas and things, filthy water, cuts and wounds, try to keep clean, take showers, change clothes etc. Pray that people in the hospital don't get this.

[@davidwhitworth6030]

Son’s girlfriend who had a mosquito bite on her butt, lucky for her he said let’s go to the hospital,it looked black around the bite area, she had t😮o get part of her rear removed, a year later still not working and will take time for it to heal

[@sallyware156]

Thanks doctors this seems scary. I have never knew anyone who had this.

[@debbiemullen2574]

As a nurse in Florida for 34 years, on a surgical floor, I've seen it a few times. It's devastating for the patient, multiple surgeries and I never really saw success. Very sad. Thank-You for your informative and entertaining videos.

[@DanielPerez-tk3wy]

I caught Necrotizing Fasciitis back in November of 2022...originally i thought it was gout which I usually get...after being told by many that i need to go to the hospital, thank god i did because the doctor said that if i would've waited one more hour the bacteria would've gone to mu blood system causing me to die from septic shock. Still had 7 more surgeries after that plus my amputation went from a below the knee amputation to a above the knee

[@markvanderhaeghe6639]

So I got this on April 29th 2024, simple scratch of the elbow within 40 hrs I was in the OR under the knife. I did flat line but was revived. Thcut my entire right arm from hand to armpit open I was told I was lucky .i got there when I did another hour it would have made it to my heart, and another 15/20 minutes I would have lost the arm. I have no feeling in my right forearm in certain area. It did require multiple surgeries and multiple plastic surgeries to close it. In ontario it's a bit of an issue in lake Erie and lake ontario more and more cases are being reported. I am 37 and fairly healthy, no alcohol, no drugs and don't smoke just was unlucky to catch it and very lucky to survive. If people have questions il gladly answer as I see them. Just be careful if you see a spot that got a scratch or a scrape clean it correctly and then if it's still really red and gets more painful as well as feels hot to the touch get to a Emergency room, even if it turns out to be a small cellulitis infection instead it's better safe than sorry trust me

[@halogenic]

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is apparently on the raise in Japan.

[@suzannebarwell9250]

I was in the hospital for 8 days a few months ago will cellulitis and edema at my groin and thigh. Near my cancer surgery site from 2 years prior. It was quite scary because they thought it might be necrosis. It started with a fever and redness and was spreading quickly. My Doctors tried several strong IV antibiotics before we saw improvement. So grateful to the wonderful staff at Credit Valley hospital.

[@judymilavec8289]

A good friend suffered from this and lost an arm and much of the body along the ribs under the are. Along the neck on same side. Much pain in olved.

[@TalkingWithDocs]

It’s horrible. Sorry to hear this

[@malekodesouza7255]

I remember a child succumbing to this from a simple laceration he got while playing in a park.

[@billbright1755]

Imagine setting next to someone with it in the emergency room. Another guy has tuberculosis and you’re stuck in the middle for a two hour wait.

[@janicevillandre9577]

Again Dr’s thank you

[@Julie_at_MyWonderfulBCLife]

My niece had it last year. It was very touch and go for a while, and she had to have extensive skin grafting afterwards. It was just brutal!

[@dspears666]

Nice of McDavid to stop by during a playoff run!

[@timothy4131]

That's right up there with yersinia pestis

[@RichRich1955]

I seem to get small scrapes often and I carry some alcohol swabs which I use immediately after getting a cut

[@aktech3271]

You didn't explain everything. Where do you get it, and how ?

[@katechurcher4830]

Where does it come from? How do you get it?

[@IAmTheWalrusMaster]

I have had NF 3 times! This last one put me in the hospital for almost a year.

[@Katy32344]

So, how do you contract this bacteria?

[@whatfun99]

Love the segments. A key question I would like to have heard answered but didn't was, what exactly triggers an ordinary strep A infection to progress to necrotizing fasciitis?

[@Value1lady]

Wow sad!! I do not swim in rivers or oceans or any kind of waters like that. Thanks docs!!❤❤

[@jackdawg4579]

I have a relative who has been suffering from this disease. She had massive damage to her back, neck and face, it has caused paralysis of all limbs except one arm, she has been in hospital for more than a year. They have now stopped it, but they had her in an induced comma for 8 weeks at the worst of it as they kept cutting more lumps off her. They have told her that she might be able to go home in about another 6 months when she has healed.

[@priscillaalford9711]

I am so sorry for her and your family.

[@lindaireland2751]

Thats terrible hope she's ok ❤

[@jackdawg4579]

@@priscillaalford9711 thankyou for your thoughts!

[@jackdawg4579]

@@lindaireland2751 she is determined to make the best of it, she wants to walk again!

[@disqusrubbish5467]

Is there one particular way of getting it that is more common? When you get any wound you're supposed to wash it - are the cases you've seen a case of not washing a cut? Thanks again for good info.

[@waiwai5233]

Most of us just wants a fat eating bacteria.😂

[@neyral.castillo1696]

Well ! I don't thing we got a lot of info , how do you get it , from where ? Is it contagious ? symptoms other than pain ? Etc . Thanks

[@mae8861]

The guest doctor was not much of a talker was he?

[@sarahcrain8083]

Pyoderma Gangrenosym can look like flesh eating bacteria with or without infection present in the wound(s).

[@trixiechavis6086]

My sister dealing with now

[@donnahamacher2054]

There was a person in the hospital with a dog scratch.

[@isabelandujar9736]

Sounds frightening horrible

[@liamweekes5567]

I had this on my arm the pain is not good I at to have half my arm of it went black the smell was not good they gave me 20 mins to live I cauld have lost all my arm or died that was six years ago not a prity site but I’m still hear

[@johnbannon7239]

It really hurts

[@realfaceofmumbai]

my mom died because of this

[@sawdust2556]

What does it look like? What kind of doctor can identify it?

[@ragnaros170]

Is it possible for the bacteria to enter in your system through eye or nose? I was placing some frozen fish for to be thawed and got some ice splashed in my eye. Immediately washed it down.

[@Enclave_soldier9474]

Urm is it possible to have it develop in the mouth?

[@IchorSanies]

Still waiting on the Ecdysteroids video… jk love you guys and your content. Take your time.

[@firefly2508]

The doctor in the middle is camera shy 😅

[@DonnaLLoyd-lt6ot]

Are the Covid 19 vaccines safe?

[@RichRich1955]

Raw shellfish can have it.

[@anjanabindhu6533]

Any Malayalis here (Kerala State,India )

[@R19654]

The symptoms are remarkably similar to that of cellulitis. I have had cellulitis incidents that are extremely painful, sometimes red in the affected area but sometimes no redness and which do spread quickly. How would you know if it is “flesh eating” vs cellulitis? Thoughts?

[@spacemissing]

There is Nothing said at all about prevention.

[@benholdaway7570]

What is the vector?

[@Carepedoit]

That guy in the middle-what does he do again?

[@charmainemrtnz]

Is this leprosy?

[@patriciawenzel3871]

No it’s not. Leprosy is caused by a different bacterial organism, Mycobacterium leprae.

[@mikemesich2572]

Can maggot treatment remove necrotic tissue?

[@robinjones6999]

Its a disease that terrifies me

[@zachmatt3]

Isn't this what Jim Henson (The Muppets) died of?

[@Joy21090]

Yes. I came to the comments to say RIP Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets.

[@krishanlal8535]

*🇮🇳✝️✝️Holy Bible Exodus 14 : 13* *Do not be afraid, believe and see the work of God, which Jehovah (Jesus) will do for you today; because the problem and disease that you see today, you will never see it again. Amen🙏*

[@michelenichele294]

😳

[@asimpleguy9667]

more like Jeffrey Dahmer syndrome

[@mbh4097]

Gross. That's all I have to say about that.

[@rusne167]

Hi there! I have been trying to contact you through your email address regarding some business offer... It seems like the email address is not valid - I would appreciate it if you could share the correct email address with me. Your videos are just great!