Gas Gangrene and Necrotizing Fasciitis in the Upper Extremity

Description: Necrotizing soft-tissue infections encompass a wide variety of clinical syndromes resulting from introduction of various pathogens into injured or devitalized tissue. The extent of microbial involvement in such tissue may range from simple contamination, which results in self-limited bacterial proliferation with few, if any, clinical symptoms to overt and progressive local tissue necrosis, which, if untreated, may lead to septicemia and death. Early differentiation among these infections is not always possible, as there are overlapping classification criteria.
This chapter will provide an overview of necrotizing soft-tissue infections in the upper extremity focusing on gas gangrene, or clostridial myonecrosis, and necrotizing fasciitis to facilitate early diagnosis and optimal management of these lethal diseases.
Authors - Waldo E. Floyd III, M.D. Betsy N. Perry, MD Mercer University School of Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Macon, GA 31201