Mortality Risk in Necrotizing Fasciitis: National Prevalence, Trend, and Burden

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a fulminant, life-threating infection of fascia and subcutaneous tissue. Because of the low incidence, previous studies were statistically underpowered to assess factors associated with the risk of mortality. The aim of this study is to identify the risk factors associated with mortality in this select group of patients. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed utilizing the Nationwide Readmissions Database, 2010-2014. The database captures 56.6% of all U.S. annual hospitalizations. Study population included inpatients admitted emergently with NF. Results: A total of 4,178 cases were included, of which 2,061(48.9%) patients had a history of diabetes mellitus (DM). The most common presentation was septicemia (39.5%) and 9.2% were admitted initially as cellulitis/abscess. Overall mortality risk was 12.6% with no substantial change in the annual trend. Mortality in patients with diabetes was substantially lower (8.5% vs. 16.5%, odds ratio [OR]: 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.34, 0.56], p < 0.001). Factors associated with a higher mortality risk included: older age, chronic liver diseases, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, septic shock, pulmonary complications, acute renal failure, and not undergoing surgical intervention (p < 0.05 each). Patients who did not undergo surgical debridement were more likely to be ≥65 years of age and have multiple comorbidities. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and intravenous immunoglobulin were used in 1.3% and 0.3% of the sample, respectively, with no reported use among patients who died. Conclusions: This study provides a new and updated perspective on the prevalence, trend, and outcomes of NF in the United States. Necrotizing fasciitis is associated with septicemia and lack of surgical intervention is associated with a higher mortality.