Plummer Patrick D, Umbu Landry, Mashburn Penelope, Debiec Ryan
Department of Surgery, Western Reserve Health Education, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), Warren, USA.
Department of Surgery, Trumbull Regional Medical Center, Warren, USA.
Cureus. 2025 Jun 13;17(6):e85917. doi: 10.7759/cureus.85917. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are characterized by "flesh-eating bacteria" that are rapidly progressive and require immediate diagnosis and aggressive surgical debridement along with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Common pathogens, such as , , , and Clostridium, are the usual culprits of this disease. While NSTIs have a relatively low incidence, they are associated with higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Due to the aggressive nature of the pathogen, NSTI can cause widespread necrosis of soft tissue and muscle, leading to extensive surgical intervention and patient disfigurement. The patient population that is most susceptible to NSTI includes the elderly, immunocompromised, and diabetics. In this case report, the patient is a 54-year-old woman with a past medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, and an extensive spinal surgery with malfunctioning spinal hardware who developed an NSTI while in the intensive care unit.
坏死性软组织感染（NSTIs）的特征是存在“噬肉细菌”，病情进展迅速，需要立即诊断，并积极进行外科清创，同时使用广谱抗生素。常见病原体，如 、 、 和梭状芽孢杆菌，是这种疾病的常见病因。虽然NSTIs的发病率相对较低，但它们与较高的发病率和死亡率相关。由于病原体具有侵袭性，NSTI可导致软组织和肌肉广泛坏死，从而需要进行广泛的外科干预，患者也会出现容貌损毁。最易感染NSTI的患者群体包括老年人、免疫功能低下者和糖尿病患者。在本病例报告中，患者为一名54岁女性，既往有2型糖尿病、丙型肝炎病史，曾接受广泛的脊柱手术且脊柱硬件出现故障，在重症监护病房时发生了NSTI。
