UNLABELLED INTRODUCTION Fournier's gangrene is an infectious necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum and genital regions and has a high mortality rate. It is a synergistic infection caused by a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic organisms and predisposing factors, including diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, malnutrition, and low socioeconomic status. We report a case of Fournier's gangrene in a pat...

OBJECTIVES Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) of chronic empyemas can potentially set challenging patients free of prolonged hospitalization by warranting outpatient care. We wanted to test this concept in post-pneumonectomy empyema patients. METHODS Three patients with post-pneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula were subjected to open window thoracostomy (OWT) and subsequently to VAC. The BPFs were...

ABOUT THIS POLICY: Keystone First has developed clinical policies to assist with making coverage determinations. Keystone First’s clinical policies are based on guidelines from established industry sources, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), state regulatory agencies, the American Medical Association (AMA), medical specialty professional societies, and peer-reviewed pro...

Fournier's gangrene is a necrotizing, soft tissue infection that spreads along the deep external fascial planes of the perineum, scrotum (or vagina), penis, thighs and lower abdomen. Due to the rapid progression of the disease, patients are frequently left with a large integumentary deficit. Treatment of the skin defect has been described in a multitude of ways including split-thickness skin gr...

Chronic wounds are a major source of morbidity, lead to considerable disability, and are associated with increased mortality; therefore, they have a significant impact on public health and the expenditure of healthcare resources. The incidence of chronic wounds in the United States is approximately 5 to 7 million per year, and the annual costs for management of these wounds is greater than $20 ...

FOREWORD This timely initiative draws on both the research evidence and the consensus opinion of an international group of experts (see below) to provide guidance on the successful integration of vacuum assisted closure therapy (V.A.C. ® Therapy) into clinical practice. The document specifically reviews its potential use in the following selected indications*: diabetic foot ulcers, complex leg ...

INTRODUCTION Patients with an open abdomen (OA) present a major challenge to the surgeon. High mortality and associated complication rates have been reported depending on the specific method of temporary abdominal closure, the primary disorder and any co-morbidity. Vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction (VAWCM) is a novel technique recently introduced for late fascial ...

INTRODUCTION Vacuum-assisted wound closure therapy has widely been used in various clinical applications with successful results and has considerably increased in popularity over the past decade. The patient who sustained a complex war wound to his perineum has been presented. METHODS After the initial treatment he was discharged from the hospital in which he had been treated for 4 days in Ir...

Annals Academy of Medicine Dear Editor, Fournier’s gangrene is a surgical emergency. Treatment consists of fl uid resuscitation, intravenous broad spectrum antibiotics and immediate surgical consultation with a view for early wound debridement and drainage. A common problem of Fournier’s gangrene is the large defect that remains post-drainage. Many of these defects are treated with daily wound ...