What are the symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis?
The majority of cases begin with an existing infection, most frequently on an extremity or in a wound. The initial infection can be from almost any cause (for example, cuts on the skin, puncture wounds, surgical incisions, or insect bites). Instead of healing, the infected site can show erythema (redness) and swelling. The site may be very sensitive to pain, even past the area of erythema. At the same time, patients often experience fever and chills. Early symptoms resemble those of cellulitis, but progressive skin changes such as skin ulceration, bullae (thin-walled fluid-filled blisters) formation, necrotic eschars (black scabs), gas formation in the tissues, and fluid draining from the site can occur rapidly as the infection progresses. Some patients can become septic (meaning the infection has spread to the bloodstream and throughout the body) before the skin changes are recognized, especially when necrotizing fasciitis begins in deep facial planes. Type 1 often occurs after trauma
