What Researchers Did
Researchers looked back at patient records to see if the type of bacteria (gram-positive or gram-negative) causing a severe skin infection called monomicrobial necrotizing fasciitis affected how patients presented and their outcomes.
What They Found
Out of 46 patients with monomicrobial necrotizing fasciitis, 11 had gram-positive infections and 35 had gram-negative infections. Patients with gram-negative infections more often had hemorrhagic bullae, septic shock, higher APACHE II scores, thrombocytopenia, and chronic liver dysfunction. Poor prognostic factors for survival included pre-existing chronic liver dysfunction, chronic renal failure, thrombocytopenia, and low serum albumin.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This study was retrospective and involved a relatively small number of patients, which may limit the generalizability of its findings.