In our long term unit, prevent infection, provide patient teaching and rehabilitation is a primary patient and regulatory goal, particularly following a lengthy illness with flesh eating disease which resulted in many surgical interventions.

Rationale:

Sustaining a flesh eating bacterial disease infection and living, presents a challenge to the patient who regains consciousness to discover a colostomy and massive openings around his thigh. Social and emotional issues also significantly impact the patient goals and outcomes.

We will present a young male admitted to the ER with a two week history of severe leg and hip pain as well as urinary issues. Upon admission he received immediate surgery for diverting colostomy, sigmoid colectomy, and radical debridement for necrotizing faciitis from a ruptured diverticulum. For the first two weeks of admission patient was in intensive care, comatose, on a ventilator and received radical debridement in the surgery suite daily. Religious last rites were also provided. As his physical condition improved he was an ideal candidate for long term care rehab.

Methodology:

We will demonstrate this patient's progress to healing and discharge without infection and further surgical intervention by using wound care products which were easy for this very motivated patient to use.

Results:

This patient was able to perform return demonstrations to staff on care of his wounds and ostomy. He was discharged back to his apartment, self sufficient, three months from the date of admission. He is an advocate for the National Necrotizing Fasciitis Foundation. He feels he is lucky to be alive and have his leg to walk on.