Pathophysiology and treatment of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.

We have recently encountered three cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, each of which had a different cause. All the patients had inflammation of soft tissue in the lower extremities, and developed shock and multiple organ failure immediately after the clinical visit. The inflammation of soft tissue was necrotising fasciitis in one case, myositis in one case, and phlegmon in one. In the first case the debridement was incomplete, which resulted in an extensive ulceration. Wary of repeating this experience, we made an early diagnosis and did a thorough debridement in the second case. The patient was ultimately discharged without complications. It is rare that a patient with extensive myositis survives without amputation of the extremity. The third patient responded well to early treatment with antibiotics.     

A case report of necrotizing soft tissue infection of the chest wall: Effective management with serial debridement

IntroductionNecrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) of the chest wall is a rare, rapidly spreading, highly lethal surgical disease. Radical debridement interferes with the important anatomical function of the chest wall. We report a case of chest wall NSTI that was successfully managed with early diagnosis and serial debridement.Presentation of caseA 43-year-old, previously healthy woman presented with severe malaise and worsening right axillary pain. She was severely lethargic and had a painful, large, pale lesion with surrounding erythema of the right chest and trunk. Computed tomography revealed NSTI, with diffuse soft tissue inflammation extending from the axilla to the lower abdomen. There was no obvious entry portal. Prompt surgical drainage was established. Group A streptococcus infection was diagnosed. During her 3-month postoperative course, she underwent four more surgeries, including two debridements. This treatment proved successful and avoided the need for complicated muscle flap reconstruction. She was discharged on postoperative day 109.DiscussionGroup A streptococcus can cause NSTI even in immunocompetent patients without an entry portal. Radical debridement is recommended for infection control. Preserving anatomical chest wall function, however, is also important. Serial debridement with close follow-up solved the problem in this patient.ConclusionsSerial debridement with close follow-up enabled to avoid large tissue deficits and complicated reconstruction in the case of NSTI of the chest wall.     

Necrotizing streptococcal myositis of an extremity: a rare case report

Necrotizing myositis is a severe and very rare streptococcal soft tissue infection involving the superficial fascia and muscle. Its clinical symptoms are nonspecific until the appearance of a fulminant clinical course with soft tissue destruction and septic shock. A high mortality and morbidity rate has been reported in the few cases over the last century. Despite several attempts to better define the different entities causing this necrotizing soft tissue infection, no clear treatment has been outlined. We present the case of a 47-year-old woman who had an acute necrotizing myositis after a stab wound. The diagnosis of necrotizing myositis was only established after surgical treatment with a pathology report. We reviewed the literature to highlight the clinical difficulty of a preoperative diagnosis and surgical treatment.     

Fournier's gangrene: still highly lethal

Five patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections of the perineum and scrotum are presented. There were one female and four male patients, aged from 35 to 70 years. Portals of entry were perirectal abscesses in four cases and a scrotal abscess in one case. All patients required extensive surgical debridement and intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics. Operative debridement involved the scrotum, the perineal and inguinal area, the upper thighs and the anterior abdominal wall. One patient required transverse loop colostomy and one loop sigmoidostomy. One patient was reoperated on after inadequate drainage of a perirectal abscess. Three patients were referred to our unit after some delay, while one patient did not seek medical care until after being febrile for 2 weeks. Despite aggressive debridement, this last patient died of fulminant sepsis. Fournier's gangrene, which is not so rare as in generally considered, is still associated with a high mortality, which can be reduced only by improving medical awareness and early treatment both of the primary cause and of necrotizing fasciitis.     

Necrotizing fasciitis: literature review of contemporary strategies for diagnosing and management with three case reports: torso, abdominal wall, upper and lower limbs

ABSTRACT: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is an uncommon soft tissue infection, usually caused by toxin-producing virulent bacteria. It is characterized by widespread fascial necrosis primarily caused by Streptococcus hemolyticus. Shortly after the onset of the disease, patients become colonized with their own aerobic and anaerobic microflora from the gastrointestinal and/or urogenital tracts. Early diagnosis with aggressive multidisciplinary treatment is mandatory. We describe three clinical cases with NF. The first is a 69 years old man with diabetes mellitus type II, who presented with NF on the posterior chest wall, shoulder and arm. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a clinical picture of severe sepsis. Outpatient treatment and early surgical debridement of the affected zones (inside 3 hours after admittance) and critical care therapy were performed. The second case is of a 63 years old paraplegic man with diabetes mellitus type I. Pressure sores and perineal abscesses progressed to Fournier's gangrene of the perineum and scrotum. He had NF of the anterior abdominal wall and the right thigh. Outpatient treatment and early surgical debridement of the affected zones (inside 6 hour after admittance) and critical care therapy were performed. The third patient was a 56 year old man who had NF of the anterior abdominal wall, flank and retroperitoneal space. He had an operation of the direct inguinal hernia, which was complicated with a bowel perforation and secondary peritonitis. After establishing the diagnosis of NF of the abdominal wall and retroperitoneal space (RS), he was transferred to the ICU. There he first received intensive care therapy, after which emergency surgical debridement of the abdominal wall, left colectomy, and extensive debridement of the RS were done (72 hours after operation of inquinal hernia). On average, 4 serial debridements were performed in each patient. The median of serial debridement in all three cases was four times. Other intensive care therapy with a combination of antibiotics and adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) was applied during the treatment. After stabilization of soft tissue wounds and the formation of fresh granulation tissue, soft tissue defect were reconstructed using simple to complex reconstructive methods.     

Management of a complex hind foot war injury with negative pressure wound therapy: A case study

We report the use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) in a 39 year old patient with a complex open hind foot injury. The patient sustained an open calcaneal fracture with extensive soft tissue damage following the detonation of an explosively formed penetrating round in a confined space. A remarkable recovery was made following surgical debridement, internal fixation of the fracture and use of NPWT over the soft tissue injury. The patient returned to his normal level of function, without complications within a few months.     

Management of Morel-Lavallee Lesion Associated with Pelvic and/or Acetabular Fractures

Objective  Management of Morel-Lavallee soft tissue lesion (MLL) in patients with associated pelvic and/or acetabular fractures is still under discussion. Especially, the sequence of treatment of MLL soft tissue management and osteosynthesis of pelvic and acetabular injury remains controversial. Methods  We report all consecutive patients with MLL associated with pelvic ring and/or acetabular fractures during an 8-year period at our hospital. Surgical access and techniques were analyzed concerning complications and outcome. Results  Altogether, 20 patients were included in the study. One patient was treated conservatively and MLL healed without complications; 19 patients had an operative treatment of MLL. In 15 patients debridement was performed within one day after injury and in four patients with delay of 5 days at least. Ten patients had surgery for an associated pelvic ring or acetabular fracture. In four of them MLL was operated before, in six patients simultaneously to osteosynthesis. In three patients, the same surgical approach for osteosynthesis and debridement of MLL was used; none of them showed postoperative complications. Altogether, in nine operated patients (47.4%) MLL healed without any complications. Nine operated patients presented prolonged wound healing, however, during long term follow-up, all patients showed complete healing of the MLL. One patient died during resuscitive surgical procedures. Conclusions  We recommend debridement for early and delayed treatment of MLL. Osteosynthesis during first debridement may be performed without adverse outcome. Identical surgical access for both procedures can be used. In case of repeated surgical debridement VAC^? therapy may be a helpful tool for dead space reduction and wound conditioning.     

Split thickness porcine graft in the treatment of close-range shotgun wounds to extremities with vascular injury

The use of split thickness porcine skin grafts as a biologic dressing to cover exposed vascular anastomoses was evaluated in three patients who sustained close-range shotgun wounds to the thigh, causing massive soft tissue injuries and injuries to the superficial femoral artery, saphenous vein, and superficial femoral vein in each patient. In addition, one patient also had a fracture of the distal femur. Operative management consisted of extensive debridement, ligation of the femoral and saphenous veins, and vein graft reconstitution of the superficial femoral artery. The patient with associated femoral fracture was treated with balanced skeletal traction. The porcine skin grafts were changed every twenty-four to forty-eight hours, using sterile technic and general anesthesia as indicated.The porcine skin grafts appeared to protect the vein grafts from infection and trauma during the multiple dressing changes and contributed to limb salvage in two patients in whom the vein graft could be approximated to a viable muscle bed. Amputation was required in the third patient after rupture of the vein graft, which was suspended across a large soft tissue cavity and could not be approximated to a viable muscular bed. The intraoperative and postoperative management of such injuries is discussed in detail. In view of this experience, it appears that judicious use of split thickness porcine skin grafts as a biologic dressing may permit limb salvage in selected cases in which no viable soft tissue remains to cover a vascular anastomosis after soft tissue debridement is completed.     

Reconstruction of a large defect of the ear using a composite graft following a human bite injury.

Human bites to the ear are not an uncommon injury as a consequence of brawls or even contact sports like rugby. Untreated, the cosmetic outcome of such injury is unsightly. This case history documents how a patient, who had two-thirds of his external ear bitten off, was treated successfully by replacing the part as a composite graft. The segment replanted was minimally trimmed but inset to allow maximal soft tissue apposition at the skin edges. An episode of postoperative venous congestion was treated with leeches. Patience was exercised rather than early debridement of any struggling tissue. All these factors helped the final result, which was 100% take of the replanted segment. Six months from the time of injury, the grafted segment has maintained its shape without cartilage resorption.     

Ruptured mycotic aneurysm: a complication of parenteral drug abuse

Mycotic aneurysms occurred in five narcotics addicts treated between 1969 and 1975. Fever, localized tenderness, swelling, loss of distal pulses, and leukocytosis were common findings. The aneurysms were located in the femoral (two patients), brachial (two), and superior mesenteric arteries (one). They occurred at the site of arterial injection in three patients. In one patient with subacute bacterial endocarditis, an aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery developed. In one patient, the pathogenesis was uncertain. All patients had rupture of the arterial wall, with hemorrhage contained by adjacent muscle or soft tissue. Four patients were treated by ligation and debridement. One, with preexisting ischemia, required amputation below the knee. One patient underwent repair with autogenous artery. Recurrent hemorrhage necessitated ligation of the artery. In all patients, extensive sepsis and tissue necrosis precluded repair with prosthetic material. All patients survived, without evident of ischemia.     

Fatal skin and soft tissue infection of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Acinetobacter baumannii is usually associated with respiratory tract, urinary tract and bloodstream infections. Recent reports suggest that it is increasingly causing skin and soft tissue infections. It is also evolving as a multidrug resistant organism that can be difficult to treat. We present a fatal case of multidrug resistant A. baumannii soft tissue infection and review of relevant literature.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 41 year old morbidly obese man, with history of alcoholic liver disease presented with left superficial pre-tibial abrasions and cellulitis caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) A. baumannii. In spite of early antibiotic administration he developed extensive myositis and fat necrosis requiring extensive and multiple surgical debridements. He deteriorated despite appropriate antibiotic therapy and multiple surgical interventions with development of multi-organ failure and died.

DISCUSSION

Managing Acinetobacter infections remains difficult due to the array of resistance and the pathogens ability to develop new and ongoing resistance. The early diagnosis of necrotizing soft tissue infection may be challenging, but the key to successful management of patients with necrotizing soft tissue infection are early recognition and complete surgical debridement.

CONCLUSION

A. baumannii is emerging as an important cause of severe, life-threatening soft tissue infections. Multidrug resistant A. baumannii soft tissue infections may carry a high mortality in spite of early and aggressive treatment. Clinicians need to consider appropriate early empirical antibiotic coverage or the use of combination therapy to include MDR A. baumannii as a cause of skin and soft tissue infections.     

Serratia marcescens cellulitis in a patient on hemodialysis.

Serratia marcescens is an infrequent cause of cellulitis with only 5 reported cases. Four of the 5 patients were immunocompromised. Additionally, the cellulitis usually occurred at a site contiguous with a wound. We report a case of S. marcescens cellulitis in a patient with end-stage renal disease on chronic hemodialysis. The initial presentation was a soft tissue infection that progressed to septic shock. Ultimately, the patient responded to antibiotics and surgical debridement of infected tissue. This case serves as a reminder to consider infections due to gram-negative bacilli as a cause of cellulitis in immuno-compromised patients regardless of the presentation.     

Open grade III “floating ankle” injuries: a report of eight cases with review of literature

Introduction “Floating ankle” injuries result from high-energy trauma and are usually associated with extensive soft tissue damage. Such rare and complex injuries in the acute phase pose therapeutic dilemma to the treating surgeon. When salvage instead of amputation is preferred, a variety of treatment options are available ranging from open reduction along with minimal internal fixation to external fixation. In this retrospective case series study we report eight patients with open “floating ankle” injuries who had been treated with external fixation with or without internal fixation. Materials and methods Eight consecutive patients (7M: 1F) with mean age of 28 years (range 18–35 years) were treated. All had Grade III open fractures of the distal tibia with foot fractures and various degrees of soft tissue injuries. ISS and MESS were used to assess injury severity. Immediate radical wound debridement; skeletal stabilization and early soft tissue coverage were done by combined trauma and plastic surgical services followed by standard post-operative rehabilitation. All the patients were assessed with SF-36 questionnaire at mean follow-up of 2.5 years (range 2–4 years). Results Three patients were treated primarily with Ilizarov ring fixators, one had hybrid fixation and the other four had Hoffman frames. Four patients needed further surgeries. One patient developed metatarsal osteomyelitis, which was debrided and treated with antibiotics. The SF-36 results were compared with age matched UK norms for men and women in all categories. Only two patients returned to their previous employment. Six suffered varying degrees of disability out of which one underwent amputation. Conclusions External fixation with or without internal fixation is an option when salvaging rare injuries like open grade III “floating ankle” injuries. Salvaged patients do suffer a cocktail of crippling disease characterized by psycho-socio-economic and physical disability and result in increased hospital costs. We recommend more prospective studies with long-term follow-up of such complex injuries to identify the indications for salvage and also the criteria for a successful salvage.     

Lower‐limb reconstruction with chimeric flaps: The quad flap*

Early soft‐tissue coverage is critical for treating traumatic open lower‐extremity wounds. As free‐flap reconstruction evolves, injuries once thought to be nonreconstructable are being salvaged. Free‐tissue transfer is imperative when there is extensive dead space or exposure of vital structures such as bone, tendon, nerves, or blood vessels. We describe 2 cases of lower‐extremity crush injuries salvaged with the quad flap. This novel flap consists of parascapular, scapular, serratus, and latissimus dorsi free flaps in combination on one pedicle. This flap provides the large amount of soft‐tissue coverage necessary to cover substantial defects from skin degloving, tibia and fibula fractures, and soft‐tissue loss. In case 1, a 51‐year‐old woman was struck by an automobile and sustained bilateral tibia and fibula fractures, a crush degloving injury of the left leg, and a right forefoot traumatic amputation. She underwent reconstruction with a contralateral quad free flap. In case 2, a 53‐year‐old man sustained a right tibia plateau fracture with large soft‐tissue defects from a motorcycle accident. He had a crush degloving injury of the entire anterolateral compartment over the distal and lower third of the right leg. The large soft‐tissue defect was reconstructed with a contralateral quad flap. In both cases, the donor site was closed primarily and without early flap failures. There was one surgical complication, an abscess in case 2; the patient was taken back to the operating room for débridement of necrotic tissue. There have been no long‐term complications in either case. Both patients achieved adequate soft‐tissue coverage, avoided amputation, and had satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes. With appropriate surgical technique and patient selection, the quad‐flap technique is promising for reconstructing the lower extremity.     

Surgical management of a long segmental defect of the humerus using a cylindrical titanium mesh cage and plates: a case report

This is a case report of a patient who sustained multiple gunshots resulting in a Gustilo Anderson type IIIB mid-shaft humeral fracture associated with extensive segmental bone and soft-tissue loss. The patient was treated initially by multiple irrigations, wound debridement, and a unilateral external fixator. After the soft tissue healed without infection, the mid-shaft humeral defect of approximately 8 cm segmental bone loss was reconstructed with a cylindrical titanium mesh cage packed with a composite of cancellous allograft and demineralized bone matrix putty and stabilized with limited contact dynamic compression plates. At 13 months follow-up, plain radiographs demonstrated a healed construct with good alignment, and computed tomography images demonstrated bony in-growth through the cage. The patient had full range of motion at the shoulder and the elbow. This technique may be a reasonable alternative when treating large segmental bone defects of the humerus.     

Acute unreamed intramedullary nailing and soft tissue reconstruction with muscle flaps for the treatment of severe open tibial shaft fractures

BACKGROUND: The treatment of open tibial shaft fractures remains controversial. Important considerations in surgical management include surgical timing, fixation technique and soft tissue coverage. This study was performed to evaluate the results of acute surgical debridement, unreamed nailing and soft tissue reconstruction in the treatment of severe open tibial shaft fractures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During a 10-year period between January 1993 and July 2002, 927 tibial shaft fractures were treated with interlocking intramedullary nails. Among them, there were 19 consecutive patients with Gustilo type IIIB to IIIC open tibial shaft fractures with extensive soft tissue injury needing a muscle flap coverage and being suitable for intramedullary nailing. All 19 patients were called for a late follow-up which was conducted with a physical examination and a radiographic and functional outcome assessment. The radiographs were reviewed to determine the fracture healing time and the final alignment. RESULTS: All 19 open fractures with severe soft tissue injury healed without any infection complications. The fractures united in a mean of 8 months. Nine patients had delayed fracture healing (union time over 24 weeks). One of these patients needed exchange nailing, one patient autogenous bone grafting and dynamisation on the nail and seven patients needed dynamisation of the nail before the final fracture healing. In all patients, the alignment was well maintained. However, seven patients had shortening of the tibia by 1-2 cm and two of them also external rotation of 10 degrees . The functional outcome was good in 18/19 patients. INTERPRETATION: Acute surgical debridement, unreamed interlocking intramedullary nailing and soft tissue reconstruction with a muscle flap appear to be a safe and effective method of treatment for Gustilo type IIIB open tibial shaft fractures.     

Heel reconstruction with flexor digitorum brevis musculocutaneous flap

A 4-year-old girl with an extensive soft tissue loss of the left heel is presented. Management by debridement followed by coverage with an innervated flexor digitorum superficialis musculocutaneous flap resulted in primary healing. Full weight-bearing ambulation was resumed 8 weeks postoperatively. The patient has been ambulating on the reconstructed heel for 18 months without difficulty. Technical aspects of the reconstruction are presented as well as a discussion of treatment alternatives.     

Invasive aspergillosis in children

Aspergillosis may complicate the course of the child in an immunocompromised state. When sinus or pulmonary infections present in immunocompromised children, one third of these patients are diagnosed accurately premortem as resulting from aspergillosis and two thirds remain undiagnosed. Mortality remains quite high, despite prompt treatment. Four children in our hospital during the last 4 years have had invasive aspergillosis presenting other than sinus or pulmonary infections. Each presented with extensive soft tissue infection. Three presented after traumatic devascularizing injuries to the leg in which massive soil and fecal contamination occurred. One child presented with absolute neutropenia secondary to treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia. The child had a chest wall lesion develop at the site of an EKG electrode. All patients had a punctate black skin lesion with a halo of intense erythema surrounded by a zone of blanching. These lesions rapidly expanded. Initial extensive debridement of the lesions, combined with systemic chemotherapy with amphotericin B failed to halt the progression of the disease. Histology showed vascular invasion with hyphal forms. Each patient then responded well to radical debridement (three hemipelvectomies and one chest well resection). The child in an immunocompromised state who develops a red papule, then a black eschar with surrounding erythema, should have immediate biopsy that can easily demonstrate the characteristic hyphal forms. Early radical surgical debridement and antifungal therapy can be lifesaving. The initial debridement should include tissues well beyond any apparent involvement.     

Immediate internal fixation of high-energy open forearm fractures

Eighteen patients with Gustilo and Anderson Grade III A (7), III B (8) or III C (3) open diaphyseal forearm fractures were treated with a protocol consisting of extensive primary debridement, immediate open reduction, dynamic compression plate fixation, and vascular repair when indicated. This was followed by routine redebridement at 24 to 48-h intervals until wound status allowed completion of soft tissue reconstruction. Bone grafting was performed at 8 to 10 weeks following obtainment of a closed soft tissue envelope for injuries with extensive comminution or bone loss (5 patients, 7 fractures). Subsequent procedures such as tendon transfers, scar revision, joint arthrodesis, or secondary nerve reconstruction were required in 8 of 18 patients. Minor complications related to delayed wound healing occurred in 3 individuals (15%). One deep infection of a fractured radius occurred in a patient with a floating elbow and failed free flap. Salvage with debridement, retention of hardware, and a second free flap resulted in fracture union. One patient required a second bone graft to obtain union of a segmental forearm defect. Amputation was performed in one patient following failed forearm replantation with greater than 8 h warm ischemia time. Immediate debridement and plate fixation of Grade III forearm fractures performed in conjunction with aggressive soft tissue management provided good or excellent results in 12 patients (66%) and is an acceptable treatment alternative in these difficult injuries.     

严重胰腺外伤的早期处理

目的:探讨严重胰腺外伤的早期处理方法。方法:回顾性分析2006年1月—2015年4月收治的24例胰腺外伤的患者的临床资料。结果:全组24例患者中,I级损伤5例及II级损伤6例均行胰腺坏死组织清除加局部引流术;III级损伤6例均行胰腺体尾部切除术;IV级损伤7例,2例行胰十二指肠切除术,4例行胰腺空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术,1例行局部的清创引流术。全组治愈23例(95.8%),死亡1例(感染性休克),有并发症者15例(62.5%,24例次),其中胰瘘9例,创伤性胰腺炎3例,胰腺假性囊肿2例,感染2例,胆瘘1例,失血性休克1例。结论:应根据损伤程度不断调整治疗方案,选择合理的手术方式和手术时机,胰周的通畅引流和灌洗是严重胰腺外伤治疗成功保证。