Use of a Silver Foam Dressing with Silicone for Treatment of Necrotizing Facisitis

 Use of silcone foam dressing with silver to treat a patient with necrotizing fasciitis proven to be very effective in reducing the patient's pain with dressing changes, provided antimicrobial protection to large areas of degloved tissue, and allowed ease of patient mobility during a long hospitalization stay. A young male patient that suffered a traumatic injury to his rigth lower leg and foot with resulting necrotizing fasciitis and eventual BKA of his lower leg to salvage his entire leg. A hallmark sign of necrotizing faciitis is pain out of proportion to physical findings. Use of the silicone sheets measuring 8 x 20 inches were instrumental in managing the patients pain, reducing the amount of narcotics required for dressing changes and allowing the dressing changes to occur at the bedside. Surgeons involved in his care felt the large silicone foam sheets with silver were the least traumatic and painless dressing change used during his stay and helped reduce his length of stay.