Table 1 Patient characteristics of necrotizing soft tissue infection patients undergoing surgery

Age in years, mean ± SD

56 ± 16

Male sex, n (%)

108 (68)

ASA classification

 I

33 (21)

 II

65 (41)

 III

52 (32)

 IV

10 (6)

Location of NSTI, n (%)

 Head/neck

8 (5)

 Trunk

16 (10)

 Perineum

44 (27)

 Upper extremity

19 (12)

 Lower extremity

72 (45)

 Multiple body areas involved

1 (1)

Estimated TBSA affected in %^a, median (IQR)

3 (2–6)

 0–5%

111 (70)

 6–10%

36 (23)

 11–15%

7 (4)

 > 15%

4 (3)

Cultured micro-organism from incisional biopsy, n (%)

 Monomicrobial

102 (64)

  Group A Streptococcus

74 (72)

  Other Streptococcus spp.

10 (10)

  Staphylococcus aureus

7 (7)

  Escherichia coli

  Pseudomonas spp.

  Clostridium spp.

  Other^b

3 (3)

2 (2)

1 (1)

5 (5)

 Polymicrobial

55 (34)

  Escherichia coli involved

  Pseudomonas spp. involved

  Clostridium spp. involved

18 (32)

3 (5)

7 (12)

 Negative cultures

3 (19)