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What Causes Necrotizing Fasciitis?

Necrotizing fasciitis, or a necrotizing soft tissue infection, is a bacterial infection that causes the death of soft tissues in the body. This infection can develop when a scrape or cut becomes infected with bacteria.

  1. Bacterial Growth

    • According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a necrotizing soft tissue infection becomes severe when bacteria grow in a soft tissue wound. Many kinds of bacteria may cause this condition.

    Tissue Breakdown

    • The bacteria that cause a necrotizing soft tissue infection release dangerous toxins into the body that break down soft tissue, kill the tissue and can cause shock to develop.

    Blood Flow

    • Necrotizing fasciitis interferes with the flow of blood to infected tissue, which prevents the body from healing damaged tissue.

    Flesh Eating

    • Streptococcus pyogenes, or flesh-eating bacteria, causes a very severe form of necrotizing fasciitis that is deadly.

    Symptoms

    • Patients with necrotizing fasciitis may develop small painful red skin spots that can change color to purple or bronze, grow rapidly and become more painful. The skin can break and fluid may ooze from an infected wound, fever and chills may occur and patients may die without treatment.

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