Healing Beyond the Operating Room: Bedside Strategies for Necrotizing Fasciitis

BACKGROUND Necrotizing fasciitis, a subtype of necrotizing soft-tissue infection, is a rare but life-threatening condition that requires a prompt and decisive approach. Early surgical debridement remains a key treatment; however, after debridement, the management of complex wounds, particularly in high-risk patients, remains a major clinical challenge and often requires prolonged hospitalization and multiple surgical interventions. These situations may warrant alternative techniques, such as negative pressure wound therapy, to support effective wound healing. This case demonstrates that a bedside strategy to manage necrotizing fasciitis may offer a safe and effective alternative in patients for whom repeated operations carry substantial risks. CASE REPORT A 52-year-old woman with multiple comorbidities developed abdominal necrotizing fasciitis. After the initial radical debridement, all subsequent interventions were successfully performed at the patient's bedside, including negative pressure wound therapy, continuous antiseptic irrigation with an elastomeric infusion pump, and kinesiotaping. This minimally invasive approach resulted in complete wound closure within 3 months, without requiring additional surgical procedures. CONCLUSIONS This case highlights the potential of bedside management in selected patients with necrotizing fasciitis, particularly those exhibiting a high risk of surgical complications. Adjunctive therapies such as negative pressure wound therapy and kinesiotaping played a key role in accelerating wound healing and reducing treatment costs. Bedside strategies may offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional operative care in some cases of necrotizing fasciitis.