Fatal necrotising fasciitis after PEG insertion in a patient with diabetes

Abstract

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the preferred method of long-term enteral feeding in patients with a functioning gastrointestinal tract who cannot take food by mouth and have a reasonably long life expectancy. It is generally a safe procedure associated with a low morbidity and mortality and can be performed relatively easily with a low complication rate. We present the case of a 46-year-old lady with a long history of poorly controlled complicated diabetes who developed fatal necrotising fasciitis as a complication of PEG insertion. Necrotising fasciitis is a serious infection of soft tissues, which is caused by a mixed growth of aerobic and anaerobic organisms and carries a high mortality. The infection is particularly common in patients with diabetes. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.