Naidoo, S.; Zwane, A.M.; Paruk, A.; Hardcastle, T.C. Diagnosis and Management of Severe Water-Related Skin and Soft Tissue Sepsis: A Summative Review of the Literature. Diagnostics2023, 13, 2150.
Naidoo, S.; Zwane, A.M.; Paruk, A.; Hardcastle, T.C. Diagnosis and Management of Severe Water-Related Skin and Soft Tissue Sepsis: A Summative Review of the Literature. Diagnostics 2023, 13, 2150.
Naidoo, S.; Zwane, A.M.; Paruk, A.; Hardcastle, T.C. Diagnosis and Management of Severe Water-Related Skin and Soft Tissue Sepsis: A Summative Review of the Literature. Diagnostics2023, 13, 2150.
Naidoo, S.; Zwane, A.M.; Paruk, A.; Hardcastle, T.C. Diagnosis and Management of Severe Water-Related Skin and Soft Tissue Sepsis: A Summative Review of the Literature. Diagnostics 2023, 13, 2150.
Abstract
Background: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) are common presentations to the emergency department. However, this is less common after contact with contaminated water, both salt or fresh. This review presents the diagnosis and the management of water-related soft tissue sepsis in this vulnerable and difficult to treat subgroup of necrotizing soft tissue sepsis. Methods: A summative literature overview regarding bacterial and fungal SSTI after contact with contaminated water, with practical diagnostic and management aspects addressed. Results: The literature indicates that these remain difficult to treat wounds and organisms. An approach using appropriate diagnostic tools with both medical and surgical management strategies is provided. Conclusion: SSTI due to water contamination of wounds involve unusual organisms with unusual resistance patterns and require a nuanced and directed diagnostic approach with adaptation of the normal antibiotic or antifungal selection to achieve cure, along with aggressive debridement and wound care.
Keywords
Soft tissue; necrotizing infection; water borne; vibrio; fungal; aeromonas; debridement; negative pressure wound care
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Surgery
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
