ROLE OF EARLY AND EXTENSIVE SURGERY IN THE TREATMENT OF SEVERE NECROTIZING SOFT-TISSUE INFECTION

Forty-two patients with necrotizing soft tissue infection are reviewed . Bacterial culture revealed between two and seven types of micro-orga nism in each patient. All patients were treated with radical surgical debridement and a combination of antibiotics. In 30 patients, early di agnosis and treatment resulted in only two deaths. Delayed surgical in tervention in 12 patients transferred from outside hospitals was follo wed by nine deaths. Predisposing factors and site of infection did not affect outcome. Of 26 patients with systemic manifestations of sepsis , 16 survivors responded well to initial surgical debridement.