Flesh eating superbug killed one man

by Shantanu Singh   World News Sep 8, 2009 5 Comments

While world has been reeling under the spells of H1N1 virus a new bacteria has emerged and it has taken its first toll in Britain.

Richard Johnson was admitted to the hospital and was given painkillers by the doctors who thought it is arthritis. Later it turned out to be the “necrotising fasciitis” and surgeons have to amputate his left leg to save his life.

The surgeons watched in horror while the black area started to spread to the abdomen and ultimately killing the man.

Following are taken from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1211661/Flesh-eating-superbug-killed-father-just-hours-coroner-warns-new-horror.html

The disease is an infection which sweeps through the body so fast, internally and externally, that it can be seen spreading through naken eyes which resembles a Sci-fi horror story.

Mr Johnson had first been prescribed painkillers by his family doctor Jan Shorney.

He then developed a pain in his left ankle which Dr Shorney and an out-of-hours doctor believed to be arthritis.

His condition deteriorated so quickly that by the time his family rushed him to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital at 3.10 am it was too late to save him.

He was rushed straight into the operating theatre where surgeons tried to cut away the diseased tissue but found the infection was spreading too quickly to control.

Greater Devon coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland recorded a verdict of natural causes on Mr Johnson, who died at 7.00 am on November 18 last year.

A post mortem examination showed he died from septicaemia as a result of the necrotising fasciitis.

She said: ‘My intention is to write to the hospital to confirm the gravity of this case. Information about it is being disseminated and I recommend that is pursued.

‘This is a new horror reaching us and arising in out thoughts and it is important as many GPs are made aware of it as soon as possible and perhaps an early reaction can be stimulated.

‘I do not have any evidence that earlier action would have made a difference in this case.

‘Mr Johnson began to suffer a sore throat in mid November which developed into fulminating necrotising fasciitis.

‘The family have my deepest sympathies for this tragic loss.’

Family doctor Dr Jan Shorney said Mr Johnson visited her on November 11 with a sore throat and she advised him to take painkillers.

He asked for a home visit on November 17, less than 24 hours before he died, and complained of a left ankle which was sore despite having suffered no injury.

There was only slight swelling and no redness and his pulse and temperature were normal and she prescribed stronger painkillers and an anti-inflammatory drug.

She advised him to go into surgery for a blood test if it did not clear up.

He called 45 minutes later to say the pain was not going away and was told to carry on taking the medicines.

He was in so much pain that by 9.30pm his family contacted the out-of-hours service and took him to the walk-in centre at the hospital in Exeter where he was seen by on-call GP Dr Patrick Fingleton.

He examined the swollen ankle and saw no breaks in the skin. He diagnosed arthritis and prescribed oral morphine.

He believed the earlier painkillers had not worked because the patient was also suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting.

He said he was shocked to hear of Mr Johnson’s death and had met the consultant microbiologist at the hospital Dr Marina Morgan to learn more about necrotising fasciitis.

He said: ‘I have been a doctor for 12 years and a GP for five or six years and I have seen a lot of painful ankles and lots of cases of diarrhoea and vomiting but I had never seen a case of necrotising fasciitis.’

Mr Johnson’s condition deteriorated so quickly that his family took him back to the accident and emergency department of the same hospital five and a half hours later.

Consultant plastic surgeon Dr Andrew Watts said he carried out the amputation above the knee but feared it was too late to stop the spread of the disease.

He said: ‘It was clear he was very sick. There was widespread mottling of the abdomen and chest and to some extent the right leg.

‘I discovered he had died at approximately 7.00 am. Unfortunately the outcome is what had been predicted from shortly after he was admitted.’
What is necrotizing fasciitis?

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare infection of the deeper layers of skin.

It can be caused by many types of bacteria, which usually enter via an open wound, for example following surgery.

Despite being known as a ‘flesh-eating’ bug, the bacteria do not actually eat the tissue.

They cause the destruction of skin and muscle by releasing toxins.

Symptoms usually begin with patients complaining of intense pain in the area where the infection began.

In the early stages, signs of inflammation may not appear.

Redness and swollen or hot skin will show up quicker if the bacteria is closer to the surface of the skin.

As the disease progresses, skin colour may change to violet and blisters may form, with tissue then turning black as it dies.

Patients with necrotizing fasciitis typically have a fever and appear very ill. Diarrhoea and vomiting are also common symptoms.

Mortality rates have been noted as high as 73 per cent if left untreated.

Once the disease is diagnosed it is almost always necessary to cut away the infected tissue to stop it from spreading.

Comments

5 Responses to “ Flesh eating superbug killed one man ”
  1. deepika

    something should be done

  2. Sabina

    hi,
    nice posting, thank for sharing ideas.

  3. Sabina yesmin

    hello,
    good sharing ideas, thanks

  4. Alyson Camilo

    And you covered that pretty well didn’t you?

  5. NADINE B

    A small fresh porgy was the cause of 2 months of oral pain- the inside jaw becamw red and painful- I GAVE MY CHILD HUGE BOTTLES OF ORIGINAL LISTERINE to gargle and hold in his mouth because this has worked on every oral infection I EVER HAD- BUT AFTER IT HEALED HE BIT DOWN ON some fresh jumbo shrimp from Venesuela THAT was supposed to be pasteurized- it was not- I BOUGHT THESE PRODUCTS AT SAFEWAY and Giant / THEN WALMART and FOOD LINE which I now shop exclusively at. DOCTORS HAVE BEEN GIVING HIM INTRAVENOUS MEGA DOSES OF ANTIBIOTICS and he has almost died four times- body temp went to 105 degrees- he even gave it to me- LUCKILY I AM A ‘HERBAL PRACTITIONER’ AND WE BOTH WENT ON A STRICT FRUIT DIET WHICH WAS MADE LIKE SMOOTHIES. HIS INTERNISTS SAY THE WOUND HAS CLOSED AND UNTIL ALL ANTI-ARE GONE ONLY WATER AND SMOOTHIES OF ‘STERILIZED FRUITS’ CAN BE DRUNK OR HE WILL HAVE TO BE PUT BACK IN URGENT CARE TILL THEY DECIDE WHETHER HE STILL NEEDS SURGERY ON THIS ORAL GLAND THAT BECAME DEADLY. THIS ALMOST KILLED MY SON WHO JUST TUNED 25 YESTERDAY. FOLKS- BE CAREFUL WITH SEAFOOD FROM OUTSIDE THE USA THAT DOES NOT LOOK OR SMELL RIGHT. ALWAYS KEEP LISTERINE ORIGINAL ON HAND AND REALLY BE CAREFUL ABOUT YOUR ORAL CARE- BRUSH TEETH GENTLY AND DO NOT CUT GUMS OR INNER MOUTH WHEN YOU FLOSS OR EAT. WE DO NOT DRINK. SMOKE, OR IMBIBE IN NARCOTICS SO THIS NECROTITIS CAN AFFECT ANYONE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD- PLUS IF YOU HAVE ‘DIRTY FRIENDS OR RELATIVES- KEEP OPEN CUTS COVERED AND BANDAGED BECAUSE DOCTORS ARE SPREADING THIS IN EMERGENCY ROOMS- I HAVE SEEN THEM DO IT AND THE COUGHING, CHOKING, SNEEZING, AND SPITTING SPREADS THROUGH EMERGENCY ROOMS LIKE THE ‘PURPLE PLAQUE’- BE CAREFUL- I AM BEGINNING TO BELIEVE THIS GERM WAR FARE HAS BEEN BROUGHT HERE BY RUSSIA ON PURPOSE AS A NEGOTIATING TOOL TO FORCE US TO HELP THEM .

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