What Researchers Did
Doctors describe the case of a 19-year-old woman who developed a severe flesh-eating infection after taking high doses of anti-inflammatory pain medicine.
What They Found
This case report describes a patient with toxic shock and necrotizing fasciitis of the left buttock and thigh who was successfully treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. She had five days of pain and fever up to 40 degrees C before hospital admission, during which she received high doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by mouth and injection. Within 20 hours, the affected area swelled, the skin turned purplish, and blood-filled blisters formed. CT imaging and surgical findings confirmed necrotizing fasciitis, and she was flown to a specialized hyperbaric medicine center where treatment was successful.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This is a single case report, so it cannot establish that NSAIDs or stress caused the infection, and its findings cannot be generalized to other patients.