What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a retrospective study involving 19 patients treated for necrotizing fasciitis in the head and neck region between 1996 and 2004 to evaluate the effectiveness of a new standard treatment procedure introduced in 1999.
What They Found
The new treatment, which included more drastic surgical debridement, a set antibiotic regime, intravenous gamma globulin, and adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBO), significantly reduced mortality from 75% (6 out of 8 patients) in the pre-HBO group to 0% (0 out of 11 patients) in the HBO group.
Patients in the HBO group underwent significantly more debridement procedures (mean 3.36) and experienced a prolonged hospital stay (mean 30.8 days).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with necrotizing fasciitis in the head and neck region may benefit from a comprehensive treatment approach that includes aggressive surgical debridement, specific antibiotics, intravenous gamma globulin, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
This multi-modal strategy could potentially improve survival rates, although it may lead to longer hospital stays.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in Denmark and does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's retrospective design and the inability to isolate a specific factor responsible for the observed change in mortality are key limitations.