Family gatherings can be fun, boisterous, and sometimes full of conflict. During one such event, Donnie Adams found himself intervening to break up a fight between two people. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, Adam was bitten during the encounter.
A few days later, reports the Tampa Bay Times, a quarter-sized lump had appeared on his leg. At first, Adams wasn’t terribly concerned. He went home after a tetanus shot and some antibiotics, sure that would be the end of his journey. Except his condition worsened. Pain radiated through his leg to the point where it was debilitating. Adams could hardly walk.
A Rush to Undergo Surgery
When Adams got to the hospital, doctors suspected necrotizing fasciitis. Their suspicions were confirmed after Adams was rushed into surgery. Necrotizing fasciitis causes the death (necrosis) of skin, fat, and fascial tissue. In Adams’ case, doctors found that his flesh was rotting from his knee to his groin.
By the time surgery was finished, doctors had removed 70% of the tissue from the front of his thigh. However, Adams had to undergo additional surgery since the entire infection wasn’t removed. It took nearly 3 weeks in the hospital and months of treatment after the fact—including dressing wounds for up to 3x each week—for Adams to recover.
He still experiences some pain in his leg, but has ultimately recovered well. Adams reminds others that, even if they’re not too concerned about injuries, they should get checked out anyway just in case.
About Necrotizing Fasciitis
Necrotizing fasciitis can result from fungal infections in rare cases. However, it is much more common for necrotizing fasciitis to result from bacterial infections: especially those caused by group A Streptococcal bacteria. The infection is aggressive and can spread quickly. People who are immunocompromised are more likely to develop necrotizing fasciitis.
The bacteria enter the body through skin breaks, such as open wounds or, in Adams’ case, a bite. Doctors treating him had never before seen a case like this. The bacteria can also be transmitted through blunt force trauma. Because the infection can be deadly, fast treatment is needed. This often requires antibiotics, wound debridement, blood transfusions, and surgery.
Symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis can include:
- A red, swollen area of skin that grows in size
- Severe pain around the infected wound
- Ulcerated or blistered skin that may ooze or pus
- High fever
- Headache
- Extreme tiredness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Low blood pressure
- Changes in skin color
- Black necrotic spots on the skin
- Diarrhea
- Organ failure
- Shock
- Sepsis
