title: Surgical management of retroperitoneal necrotising fasciitis by planned repeat laparotomy and debridement.
abstract: Mortality remains high in patients with necrotising fasciitis despite use of modern powerful antimicrobial drug therapy and advances in the care of the critically ill. This is particularly so in patients with intra-abdominal retroperitoneal lesions. While necrotising fasciitis of the integument has been well described, its retroperitoneal (extraperitoneal) location has not been highlighted. Planned repeated laparotomies and debridement have been used in 10 recent patients with only 2 deaths. The initiating incident was caesarean section in 3 patients; perineal sepsis, trauma or intra-uterine death in 2 patients each; and uterine instrumentation to induce early abortion in the remaining patient. All patients received empirical antimicrobial therapy, which was changed when microbial isolates and their sensitivity indicated. Mechanical ventilation support was given to 60% of the patients early on during the illness. All received nutritional supplementation either parenterally or enterally throughout their inhospital treatment. This report focuses on intra-abdominal extraperitoneal necrotising fasciitis and the use of planned repeated laparotomy and debridement in the treatment of retroperitoneal (extraperitoneal) necrotising fasciitis per se and we recommend it as an essential part of the management of this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Natal, Durban.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mokoena
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Luvuno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marivate
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D005208:Fasciitis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space