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Abstract

Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe soft tissue infection characterized by rapidly progressing necrosis of subcutaneous tissues. This rare condition carries a high mortality rate and requires prompt diagnosis and urgent treatment with radical aggressive surgical debridement and targeted antibiotics. We report the case of a 5-year old girl referred to our service of paediatric surgery with necrotizing fasciitis of the right leg following a peripheral vein infusion of quinine at a peripheral health Centre. The case is a reminder that severe life and limb threatening infection such as necrotizing fasciitis can result from simple procedures such as peripheral venous access. This underscores the importance of strict adherence to aseptic measures in all, especially invasive medical procedures.

RÉSUMÉ
La fasciite nécrosante est une infection des tissus mous sévère caractérisée par la progression rapide de nécrose, impliquant les tissues hypodermites. Cette affection rare porte un taux de mortalité élevé et nécessite un diagnostic rapide et un traitement urgent avec débridement chirurgical agressif radical et des antibiotiques. Nous avons décrit un cas d'une fille de 5 ans qui a été transférée à notre service de chirurgie pédiatre pour fasciite nécrosante de la jambe droite suite à une perfusion intraveineuse de quinine dans une veine périphérique sur la jambe dans un centre de santé. Le cas est un rappel que des infections sévères telles que la la fasciite nécrosante peuvent résulter de procédures simples telles que l'accès veineux périphérique. Il met en évidence la nécessité d'asepsie dans toutes les procédures médicales.

Keywords

Necrotizing fasciitis aggressive surgery debridement iatrogenic

Article Details

Author Biographies

Paul Nkemtendong Tolefac, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University of Yaounde 1

Intern, General surgery

Leopold Aminde, PhD student and associate staff, School of public health, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland

public health

Eugene Yeika, St Elizabeth General Hospital Shisong Bamenda

General practitioner

Neville Telelen, Buea regional hospital

General practioner

Ngowe n Marcelin, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea

Professor, General surgery
How to Cite
Tolefac, P. N., Aminde, L., Yeika, E., Telelen, N., & Marcelin, N. n. (2016). Iatrogenic necrotizing fasciitis of the right leg in a 5-year old girl from Yaounde, Cameroon: Case report and lessons for the future. HEALTH SCIENCES AND DISEASE, 17(4). https://doi.org/10.5281/hsd.v17i4.727
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References

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