Flesh eating bacteria (also called necrotizing fasciitis) is a one of kind skin infection, typically caused by an injury or cut on the skin. The bacteria responsible for the infection is ‘Group A Streptococcus Bacteria (GAS)’ and it thrives by eating the skin and the tissue below it. If left untreated for any reason, the infection would need surgery and sometimes lead to amputation of the body part.
The infection spreads fast as the bacteria is aggressive in nature. The bacteria continues to eat up the tissue and continues to spread rapidly from the site of origin. Around 30% of infected people die due to this infection.
How does GAS enter the body?
- Surgical wounds – a very rare possibility but the odds are not zero.
- Injury or cut to the skin – by a weapon or accident
- Burns
- Insect bites
- Abrasions
As soon as the body detects the infection, the immune system takes charge by fighting the bacteria. If the immune system is weak for any reason, the infection starts spreading to the surrounding tissues fast. The bacteria begins to grow and release harmful toxins that kill the tissue and restrict the blood flow to the area. This is a double boost for the infection – lower blood flow results in reduced reach of white blood cells to fight the infection and lower supply of oxygen. Reduced supply of oxygen also helps the bacteria thrive and spread in the body.
Symptoms caused by flesh eating bacteria
- Fever – most often body indicates a problem with a fever.
- Inflammation, pain and swelling at the site of infection
- Nausea
The symptoms usually appear within 24 hours after infection. Ignoring the symptoms can lead to severe symptoms that include worsening pain, formation of blisters under the skin at the site of injury, leakage of pus and other liquids, stinking smell coming from the infection site.
In adverse cases, severe drop in blood pressure may be seen followed by toxic shock leading to unconsciousness.
Symptoms caused by flesh eating bacteria
- Fever – most often body indicates a problem with a fever.
- Inflammation, pain and swelling at the site of infection
- Nausea
The symptoms usually appear within 24 hours after infection. Ignoring the symptoms can lead to severe symptoms that include worsening pain, formation of blisters under the skin at the site of injury, leakage of pus and other liquids, stinking smell coming from the infection site.
Symptoms caused by flesh eating bacteria
- Fever – most often body indicates a problem with a fever.
- Inflammation, pain and swelling at the site of infection
- Nausea
The symptoms usually appear within 24 hours after infection. Ignoring the symptoms can lead to severe symptoms that include worsening pain, formation of blisters under the skin at the site of injury, leakage of pus and other liquids, stinking smell coming from the infection site.
In adverse cases, severe drop in blood pressure may be seen followed by toxic shock leading to unconsciousness. In adverse cases, severe drop in blood pressure may be seen followed by toxic shock leading to unconsciousness.
Symptoms caused by flesh eating bacteria
- Fever – most often body indicates a problem with a fever.
- Inflammation, pain and swelling at the site of infection
- Nausea
The symptoms usually appear within 24 hours after infection. Ignoring the symptoms can lead to severe symptoms that include worsening pain, formation of blisters under the skin at the site of injury, leakage of pus and other liquids, stinking smell coming from the infection site.
In adverse cases, severe drop in blood pressure may be seen followed by toxic shock leading to unconsciousness.
HBOT to check the growth of flesh beating bacteria
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy involves breathing medical grade pure oxygen at higher atmospheric pressure, typically 2 to 3 times normal ATP. Patients will have two types of chamber options, individual tube type and a small room type chamber that can accommodate a handful of people.
Normal atmosphere contains around 21% oxygen but in a HBOT chamber, you will breathe 100% oxygen. Effectively at least 5 times more oxygen gets dissolved in the blood (In the red blood cells and the plasma). As a result
- More oxygen is supplied to the infection site, restricting the growth of bacteria and also helps the immune system fight against the bacteria.
- More oxygen also results in angiogenesis, growth of new blood vessels. This in turn helps in supplying more blood to the area.
Combining HBOT with conventional antibiotics based treatment greatly reduces the chance of amputation and also helps in healing the wound very quickly.
