Diagnostic Key Points and Surgical Management of Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Retrospective Study

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a fatal disease with a high mortality rate that can be easily misdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to improve the diagnostic rate of NF and overall survival. We conducted a single-center, retrospective, noncontrolled study involving 36 patients who were admitted to our department between December 2017 and October 2019, and summarized the diagnostic key points and timing of surgical treatment. All patients were diagnosed at our department and underwent multiple courses of treatment. The records included information regarding underlying diseases, bacterial culture results, laboratory risk indicator for necrotizing fasciitis (LRINEC) score, number of procedures, and type of antibiotics. All 36 cases of NF were cured and showed good patient condition on follow-up; the mean number of surgeries was three, and the mean duration of hospitalization was 37 days (range, 21-83 days). The LRINEC scores of 16 patients were ≥8 points. Seventeen patients with underlying diabetic disease had higher inflammatory index scores than those without diabetes. The LRINEC scores of patients with (n = 17) and without (n = 19) DM were 7.40 ± 2.99 and 3.80 ± 2.39, respectively (P < .01). Cases of NF that were treated with early incision and surgical abscess drainage required fewer surgeries and a shorter length of hospitalization. Thus, surgeons should be more aware of NF and aim to make an early and accurate diagnosis using various approaches. Complete surgical debridement plays an essential role in NF treatment, and diabetes mellitus is a significant adverse factor that exacerbates the severity of NF. Negative-pressure techniques are useful in cases involving nonanaerobic infections and cause minimal complications.