Fournier's Gangrene Statistics May Be Greater Than Reported

Countries around the world are starting to report their experiences with patients that have the deadly genital flesh-eating disease

Tuesday, February 5, 2019 - The US FDA has uncovered 12 cases of Fournier's Gangrene from 2013 to 2016 and links them to those taking certain diabetes medication. At first glance, 12 cases in 4 years may not seem like many, however, globally and in the US there may have been more cases than one might suspect. One hospital in South Africa, for example, is reporting around 9 cases of Fournier's Gangrene per year and quotes urologists as saying that "in the US only one hospital in 100 treats more than 5 cases of Fournier's Gangrene per year." There are about 6200 hospitals in the US and at only 5 cases per 100, the number of annual Fournier's Gangrene cases could, unfortunately, far exceed 300. And that is just in the US. Many developing nations such as South Africa and Central and South American countries are experiences high rates of Fournier's Gangrene in their diabetic population as well. Overall there may be in excess of 5,000 cases of Fournier's Gangrene per year globally. Fournier's Gangrene attorneys representing people harmed by diabetes drug infection offer a free consultation and no obligation.

Fournier's Gangrene is a form of necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacteria that destroys the genital region in between the anus and scrotum in a man and anus and vulva in women. The disease affects mostly men and diabetic patients around 55 years old. The FDA warns that diabetic patients taking Invokana and other SGLT2 blocker drugs are at the greatest risk for Fournier's Gangrene. Over one-half of Fournier's Gangrene patients die from the fast-paced flesh-eating bacteria yet many survivors may not be much better off. When it comes to Fournier's Gangrene, the living might envy the dead.

A typical Fournier's Gangrene patient requires 13 surgeries on average, most to debride (remove) dead, blackened tissues and a good portion of healthy tissue much like backlighting a forest fire to contain its spread. Most patients spend from one month to three months in the hospital hooked up to an IV of, and packed with, full-spectrum antibiotics and with their entire genital region (or what is left of it) open and exposed to encourage the fluid to drain. About 50% of Fournier's Gangrene patients require one or more blood transfusion and most of those who survive will require a series of painful skin grafts. Almost all Fournier's Gangrene patients have had a portion or all of their penis and scrotum removed and will spend the rest of their lives with a catheter inserted to remove urine and a colostomy bag to remove feces. About one-third of Fournier's patients have the disease spread to the abdomen.

Fournier's Gangrene is a derivative of the even more common forms of necrotizing fasciitis that can affect any part of the part of the body not only the genitals. Forbes.com recently reported the case of an 11-year old boy who fell off of his bike and suffered a laceration on his thigh that required a mere seven stitches. About a week later the boy was admitted to the hospital with a severe infection that continued to spread until he eventually succumbed to the flesh-eating bacteria.

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Lawyers for Fournier's Gangrene

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.