skin disorders
Necrotizing Skin Infections
Symptoms of Necrotizing Skin Infections
Symptoms of necrotizing skin infections often begin as the common skin infection, Cellulitis . The skin may look pale at first but quickly becomes red or bronze and warm to the touch and swollen. Pain is intense. Later, the skin turns violet, often with the development of large fluid-filled blisters (bullae). The fluid from these blisters is brown, watery, and sometimes foul smelling. Areas of dead skin turn black ( Gas Gangrene ). Some types of necrotizing skin infection, including those caused byClostridiaand mixed bacteria, produce gas. The gas creates bubbles under the skin and sometimes in the blisters themselves, causing the skin to feel crackly when pressed. Initially the infected area is extremely painful, but as the skin dies, the nerves stop working and the area loses sensation. The muscles may be affected as the infection worsens. The person usually feels very ill and has a high fever, a rapid heart rate, and mental deterioration ranging from confusion to unconsciousness. Blood pressure may fall because of toxins secreted by the bacteria and the body’s response to the infection ( Sepsis and Septic Shock ). People may develop 