| Title | Necrotizing fasciitis of the upper extremity resulting from a water moccasin bite. | | Author(s) | Angel MF, Zhang F, Jones M, Henderson J, Chapman SW | | Institution | Division of Infectious Disease, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson 39216, USA. | | Source | South Med J 2002 Sep; 95(9):1090-4. | | MeSH | Adult
Aeromonas hydrophila
Animals
Colubridae
Debridement
Fasciitis, Necrotizing
Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections
Humans
Male
Skin Transplantation
Snake Bites
| | Abstract | Aeromonas hydrophila infection has been described as the cause of necrotizing fasciitis in patients with suppressed immune systems, burns, or trauma in an aquatic setting. We report a case in which severe necrotizing fasciitis involving hand, arm, chest, and lateral side of trunk, along with toxic shock, developed after the patient was bitten by a venomous snake. Mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, including A hydrophila, were isolated from the wound culture. The patient was treated with antivenom, a diuretic regimen, broad spectrum antibiotics, and 18 separate surgical procedures. After the application of skin grafts, the wound completely healed. This case illustrates that a venomous snakebite may result in infection with A hydrophila and can cause severe necrotizing fasciitis. Early and aggressive surgical intervention should be implemented as soon as the necrotizing fasciitis is diagnosed. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Case Reports
Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 12356121 |
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