Necrotising Fasciitis Caused by Adulterated Traditional Asian Medicine: A Case Report

Abstract

Necrotising fasciitis can be life threatening, requiring prompt diagnosis and surgical debridement. We report a case of necrotising fasciitis caused by an adulterate traditional Asian medication— Jamu Pegal Linu , containing toxic levels of phenylbutazone and dipyrone. The patient presented with severe neutropenia and sepsis. An urgent extensive debridement was carried out (within 6 hours of presentation). Repeated debridements were performed on days 2 and 5, augmented with antibiotics and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.