Table 3. Organisms Recovered from 198 Consecutive Patients with Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
Organism
Aerobic Streptococci Enterococci Staphylococci Escherichia coli Proteus spp. Other gram-negative bacillia
Anaerobic Peptostreptococci Bacteroides spp. Clostridium perfringens Other clostridia Other anaerobic species Fungal species
No. of Cultures
182 182 182 182 182 182
131 128 129 128 128 171
No. of Isolates (% of Cultures)
83 (45.6) 61 (33.5) 64 (35.2) 57 (31.3) 38 (20.9) 76 (41.8)
45 (34.4) 70 (54.7) 12 (9.3) 17 (13.3) 27 (21.1) 9 (5.3)
aIn order of prevalence: Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter spp., Eikenella corrodens, Citrobacter freundii.
Adapted from Elliott DC, Kufera JA, Myers RA. Necrotizing soſt tissue infections: risk factors for mortality and strategies for management. Ann Surg. 1996;224:672-683.
Anatomy Epidermis Dermis Cellulitis Superficial fascia Necrotizing fasciitis
Subcutaneous fat, nerves, arteries, veins
Deep fascia Muscle
Myonecrosis (clostridial and non-clostridial)
Syndrome Erysipelas Folliculitis Furunculosis Skin Impetigo Ecthyma Carbunculosis
