Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29627916›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of legal medicine2018

Necrotizing fasciitis: case series and review of the literature on clinical and medico-legal diagnostic challenges.

Paolo Fais, Alessia Viero, Guido Viel, Renzo Giordano, Dario Raniero, Stefano Kusstatscher, Chiara Giraudo, Giovanni Cecchetto, Massimo Montisci

Abstract readCase ReportsReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of legal medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 31 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. A Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis That Rapidly Progressed after a Minor Injury.Journal of plastic and reconstructive surgery · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Paolo FaisDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Alessia VieroDepartment of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Guido VielDepartment of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35128, Padova, Italy. guido.viel@unipd.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9769-535X
Renzo GiordanoDepartment of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Dario RanieroDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, Italy.
Stefano KusstatscherEmergency Department, Rovigo Hospital, ULSS 5 "Polesana", Rovigo, Italy.
Chiara GiraudoInstitute of Radiology, Department of Medicine (DiMED), University-Hospital Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Giovanni CecchettoDepartment of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Massimo MontisciDepartment of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35128, Padova, Italy.
University of Padua · ITOspedale Santa Maria della Misericordia di Rovigo · ITUniversity of Bologna · ITUniversity of Verona · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a life-threatening infection of soft tissues spreading along the fasciae to the surrounding musculature, subcutaneous fat and overlying skin areas that can rapidly lead to septic shock and death. Due to the pandemic increase of medical malpractice lawsuits, above all in Western countries, the forensic pathologist is frequently asked to investigate post-mortem cases of NF in order to determine the cause of death and to identify any related negligence and/or medical error. Herein, we review the medical literature dealing with cases of NF in a post-mortem setting, present a case series of seven NF fatalities and discuss the main ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostic challenges of both clinical and forensic interests. In particular, we address the following issues: (1) origin of soft tissue infections, (2) micro-organisms involved, (3) time of progression of the infection to NF, (4) clinical and histological staging of NF and (5) pros and cons of clinical and laboratory scores, specific forensic issues related to the reconstruction of the ideal medical conduct and the evaluation of the causal value/link of any eventual medical error.

Indexed as

Forensic PathologyAdultDiagnosisFasciitis, NecrotizingFemaleHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSoft Tissue InfectionsClinical forensic medicineForensic pathologyLRINEC scoreMedical malpracticeNecrotizing fasciitis

Identifiers

PMID29627916
OpenAlexW2796432110

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.