Clinical Trial: Exploratory Study of Raised Serum Lactate as a Marker of Necrotizing Fasciitis

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Raised Serum Lactate as a Marker of Necrotizing Fasciitis; a Consecutive Prospective Review.

Brief Summary: The investigators examined the hypothesis that serum lactate is raised in early necrotizing fasciitis to a much greater extent than in other differential diagnoses, such as severe cellulitis, and therefore provides a diagnostic indicator.

Detailed Summary: A prospective comparison of serum lactate levels at referral to the Plastic Surgery team to the 'gold standard' test of histology at initial surgical debridement, looking at 53 consecutive patients referred with suspected necrotizing fasciitis to a single surgeon at one institution between 2000 and 2010.
Sponsor: National Health Service, United Kingdom

Current Primary Outcome: Serum lactate level [ Time Frame: At referral to the Plastic Surgery Team ]

Serum lactate level at initial referral to the plastic surgery team, as measured by arterial blood gas analysis (calibrated point-of-care testing). Levels compared between the group with confirmed histological necrosis at initial surgical debridement, versus those with no evidence of necrosis (a composite of those who did not undergo surgery as they were judged not to have necrotizing fasciitis, and those who did undergo surgery, but whose histology did not show tissue necrosis).


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

Original Secondary Outcome:

Information By: National Health Service, United Kingdom

Dates:
Date Received: November 26, 2012
Date Started: September 2000
Date Completion:
Last Updated: November 28, 2012
Last Verified: November 2012