Necrotizing Fasciitis: Current Advances in Diagnosis and Multidisciplinary Management

Abstract

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare but life-threatening disease, spreading rapidly through fascial planes and leading to severe tissue necrosis, sepsis, organ dysfunction or failure, and death. The mainstays of management that can modify outcome are the awareness for early detection and the prompt and simultaneous initiation of all aspects of treatment. The timely diagnosis relies on clinical findings, which can further be supplemented and supported by various diagnostic adjuncts; however, clinical suspicion remains superior to any lab test. Delayed diagnosis and treatment, pre-existing organ dysfunction, and concomitant illnesses contribute to poor outcomes. A multidisciplinary approach, involving aggressive surgical debridement, is essential.