Necrotising fasciitis

Symptoms of necrotising fasciitis can develop quickly within hours or over a few days.

The infection usually happens near a cut or wound, but sometimes there may be no obvious damage to your skin in the affected area.

At first you may have:

• intense pain or loss of feeling – the pain may seem much worse than you would usually expect from a cut or wound, if there is one
• redness and swelling of the skin around the affected area (redness may be harder to see on black or brown skin)
• flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headache and tiredness

Later symptoms can include:

• being sick (vomiting) and diarrhoea
• confusion
• blisters or black, purple or grey blotches on the skin (blotches may be less obvious on black or brown skin)

Necrotising fasciitis is very rare. The symptoms can be similar to more common skin infections like cellulitis.

Necrotising fasciitis gets worse quickly and can be fatal. It must be treated in hospital as soon as possible.

Treatment will usually include:

• antibiotics
• surgery to remove the damaged tissue

Even after successful treatment, there may be long-term changes in how your body looks and how you move or use the affected part of your body.

Sometimes amputation of affected limbs is needed.

You may need further surgery and physiotherapy to help you recover.

Necrotising fasciitis is an infection caused by bacteria getting into the deep layers of your skin.

The infection may get into your body through:

• cuts, scratches, sores or other wounds that break the skin
• burns and scalds
• insect bites
• surgery
• injecting drugs
• urinary tract infections (UTIs)

You may be more at risk from developing necrotising fasciitis if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system.

Symptoms of necrotising fasciitis include intense pain, swelling and dark blotches or blisters on the skin. You may also have flu-like symptoms.

You'll need emergency hospital treatment if you have necrotising fasciitis. The main treatments are antibiotics and surgery to remove the infection.

You can get necrotising fasciitis if bacteria get into the deep layers of your skin through a wound, such as a cut, burn or bite.