Necrotizing soft-tissue infection of the upper extremity following a toothpick injury: Case report and a literature review

Abstract

NSTIs (Necrotizing soft-tissue tissue infections) are severe surgical infections characterized by rapid spread over the superficial fascia and involve the subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and sometimes muscles. At the same time, the skin may appear intact at the beginning of the disease, which might lead to severe systemic complications that may end fatally for the patient. Early recognition and urgent surgical intervention with appropriate antibiotics and other supportive measures are the most important in treating these infections. The presence of comorbidities complicates treatment. Diabetes and heart diseases are the most common comorbidities in patients with NSTIs. Reminding clinicians about this infection is essential in order to recognize it and provide adequate and timely treatment quickly. To that end, we present a patient with NSTIs of the upper extremity after being pricked by a used toothpick.

Keywords

• Soft-tissue
• Necrotizing soft-tissue infections
• LRINEC
• Surgical exploration
• Toothpick
• Soft-tissue Pathology

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