Prognostic aspects, survival rate, and predisposing risk factors in patients with Fournier's gangrene and necrotizing soft tissue infections: evaluation of clinical outcome of 55 patients.

What Researchers Did

Researchers prospectively evaluated data from 55 intensive care patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) over a 29-year period to identify predisposing or prognostic factors and mortality rates.

What They Found

The overall mortality rate was 16.4% (9 out of 55 patients), with 52.7% of patients presenting with predisposing factors and 65.5% having polymicrobial infections. Statistically significant factors associated with non-survival included age, septic condition at admission, hemodynamic instability, low blood pressure, and abdominal affection (all p < 0.001).

Canadian Relevance

This study was conducted in Germany and does not have a direct Canadian connection.

Study Limitations

A limitation of this study is its relatively small sample size of 55 patients from a single center, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.