in a twist of irony, an orthopedic surgeon was admitted to my unit this morning with necrotizing fasciitis. for those of you that do not know what that is, be brave, google it and check out some photos. ewwww!
necrotizing fasciitis is also known as the flesh eating bacteria. the patient admitted to my unit not only has this rare infection, but also, had a stem cell transplant several months ago for cancer - talk about a double whammy! the reason this is so ironic is because often, the "cure" for NF (if the patient does not die from infection first) is an amputation - a surgery an orthopedic surgeon is all too familiar with.
in the morning, patient B went to the OR for an extensive debridement (surgical removal of the infected tissue and muscle). strangely, the team of surgeons performing his surgery are his colleagues. they will do everything to save their friend's leg. let's hope that while they are being conservative in their treatment (in hopes of maintaining his ability to walk) that the infection is not too aggressive and takes his life. which is more important - saving a leg? or a life?
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