Diabetic ketoacidosis in patients with soft-tissue necrotizing infections

Necrotizing soft tissue infection is an uncommon and severe infection of the skin, subcutaneous tissue and superficial fascia which is usually accompanied by severe systemic toxicity. These infections occur more frequently in diabetics and are associated with higher morbidity and mortality rate. The prognosis of necrotizing fasciitis is known to be dependent on early recognition and treatment. Therefore, clinical awareness is important to avoid fatal outcome in patients with diabetes mellffus. We present three patients with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in whom hyperglycaemia may have facilffated me development of necrotizing tissue infection, which in tum may have precipitated diabetic ketoacidosis in patients who rarely develop this metabolic complication.