Necrotizing Fasciitis Postcript: Aimee Copeland in Rehab, Set to Return Home Next Month

The young woman we wrote about in May has won her life-or-death battle against necrotizing fasciitis or flesh-eating disease. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy played some role—we don't know the details—in Aimee Copeland's recovery from a rare and serious bacterial infection. In June her family released a photo of her enjoying some outdoor time and preparing for rehabilitation. Yesterday they announced she will return home sometime in August. Pretty moving stuff after such a  trying ordeal. Cheers to the Copelands and congratulations to the entire staff at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia.

[Photo: CNN]

Necrotizing Infections: National Story Generates Some Local Interest in Omaha

Widespread coverage of the Georgia woman battling a necrotizing infection in an Augusta hospital has led health journalists across the country in search of the local angle. Of most interest: Doctors report an unusually high number of cases recently at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Hyperbaric medical director Dr Jeff Cooper said his center has treated six patients with necrotizing fasciitis, or soft tissue infections caused by flesh-eating bacteria, in just the last month or so. He cannot account for the sharp increase but briefly explained to Omaha.com how hyperbaric oxygen works against the disease:

Cooper said hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an important part of treating the disease. “It forces oxygen into areas that aren't getting adequate oxygen because of the tissue damage and swelling,” he said. “This revives the immune system locally and causes the antibiotics to work more effectively.”

Today the medical center is holding a press conference on the subject. More on the web at WOWT Channel 6 and the Omaha World-Herald.

[Photo: Nebraska Medical Center]

Hyperbaric Oxygen for Necrotizing Fasciitis: Georgia Woman Loses Limbs and Fights for Life

Our thoughts today with Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old University of West Georgia graduate student who is fighting a very public battle against necrotizing fasciitis at Doctors Hospital in Augusta. Copeland suffered a deep gash to her leg in a zip-lining accident on May 1. By May 4 the wound had become infected with the rare flesh-eating bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors amputated most of her left leg and worked to stop the potentially deadly infection from spreading. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, begun last Wednesday, failed to salvage her remaining foot and both hands. Copeland remains in critical condition.

In the treatment of necrotizing fasciitis, hyperbaric oxygen inhibits bacteria from replicating, spreading, and releasing damaging toxins. It may also boost the effect of antibiotics, enhance the body’s natural defenses against flesh-eating bacteria, and help resolve or delay the onset of sepsis, a deadly blood poisoning. From the commentary section of our necrotizing infections page:

Hyperbaric oxygen can be a potent bactericide and also treats the hypoxia at the root of soft tissue necrosis. One analysis [Undersea Hyperb. Med. 2005 Nov-Dec; 32(6):437-43] showed significantly fewer deaths and amputations with HBOT. As the [UHMS] writeup concludes: “With such strong case series evidence of reductions in morbidity and mortality for necrotizing fasciitis and the subset of Fournier's Gangrene, it is difficult to envision ever seeing a controlled, double-blinded study of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.” In other words, considering the deadly seriousness of necrotizing infection and the demonstrated effectiveness of HBOT, withholding treatment from a control group for comparative study would not be medically or ethically acceptable. As antibiotics and other traditional weapons against these worrisome microscopic invaders begin to weaken, HBOT provides a vital backstop.

Keep track of Aimee's condition on Facebook.

[Photo: Copeland family Facebook page]