Simple Necrotizing Fasciitis Can Lead To Gruesome Fournier's Gangrene

After a summer scare cases of necrotizing fasciitis have died down

Friday, February 7, 2020 - In the summer of 2019, the news was full of stories of people who lost an arm or a leg and often their life from necrotizing fasciitis, the feared flesh-eating disease. Most of the cases described people who had gone on vacation to the Eastern seashore of the Gulf of Mexico and the media quickly speculated that the bacteria that causes the disease was breeding in the water that had been warmed by climate change. Six months later there is barely mention of the disease. Maybe the oceans cooled down a bit or people started to be more careful. The streptococcus bacteria that cause necrotizing fasciitis can enter the body through any break in the flesh and seems to affect the fascia just under the layer of the skin. Victims of the flesh-eating disease often face amputation as the first line of defense against the spread of the disease. Diabetic drug infection lawyers offer a free no obligation consultation before filing a claim.

As scary as contracting the flesh-eating disease at the beach can be it is nothing compared to its sister disease Fournier's Gangrene. Fournier's Gangrene is a type of flesh-eating disease that affects the genitals, beginning in the perineum region, the area of the genitals between the anus and scrotum in men and anus and vagina in women. Early signs of the disease are redness, tenderness, and swelling. The disease can quickly spread to the scrotum and penis where the only treatment is surgical amputation or disfigurement of genitals followed by antibiotic packs and intravenous antibiotics. The disease must be monitored constantly and it is not unusual for five or six surgical debridement operations necessary to try and stay a step ahead of the spread of the disease which can be compared to fighting a wildfire. Fournier's Gangrene is usually fatal if the rotting flesh spreads to the abdomen or torso were surgeons can not remove it. Approximately one half of all Fournier's Gangrene patients die after an average 3-4 month hospital stay.

The FDA warns that Fournier's Gangrene is linked to a family of diabetic drugs called sodium-glucose blockers that seem to weaken the immune system allowing the bacteria to enter the body. 55 cases of Fournier's Gangrene reported to the FDA were linked to SGLT2 blocker drugs at the time the disease started. Health officials warn that although Fournier's Gangrene is extremely rare, most doctors are not aware of the disease when it occurs in the elderly and is usually misdiagnosed as simple neglect. Other times, necrosis of the genitals is inaccurately blamed on being alcoholic or masturbating excessively.

The most recently reported case of Fournier's Gangrene occured in Panama where a middle-aged man checked himself into a local hospital with testicles the size of basketballs. According to medical publications, a hernia left untreated and the backup of fluids was the cause of the disease. "A hernia led to lymphedema (a blockage in the lymphatic system that prevents lymph fluid from draining, causing a buildup of fluid and swelling) of the scrotum, which had gradually worsened. They diagnosed him with Fournier's gangrene, a sometimes life-threatening type of necrotizing fasciitis, or "flesh-eating" infection, that primarily affects the genitals." The patient's testicles were photographed and amputated.

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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.