What you need to know about necrosis, tissue disease with an odor

In May, a flight from Spain to the Netherlands had to make an emergency landing because of the irresistible body odor of a man aboard the ship. ;plane. A month later, he died and revealed that his odor was not due to poor hygiene, but to a bacterial infection called necrosis.

Andrey Suchilin, a Russian guitarist, had developed tissue necrosis while vacationing in Spain. And because his health insurance had expired, Suchilin was unable to obtain proper medical care.

Necrosis is the death of living cells or tissues, and can develop infections, wounds, frostbite, or circulation problems. Explains Travis Stork, Emergency Physician, Facilitator of The Doctors and Member of the PEOPLE & # 39; s Health Squad.

"Tissue necrosis, which was present in this case, begins with redness, pain and tenderness, swelling, and heat from the affected area," says Stork, who did not treat Suchilin . "The skin may darken and become purplish, sometimes developing ulcers, blisters or blackheads, chills, fever and vomiting may also occur."

Necrosis can turn into "a serious bacterial infection that destroys the tissues under the skin," he says. "He is very aggressive and if untreated, lethal."

The disease is also easily identifiable by its odor. [19659002] "A hallmark of tissue necrosis is the smell," says Stork. "When a tissue is injured, the bacteria move and begin to degrade that tissue. When they break down the tissue, the cells release chemicals that emit a foul odor. The strength of the wound odor is often used by doctors to evaluate the severity of the necrosis and determine the treatment. "

Suchilin wrote in a Facebook post on May 30, two days after leaving the plane, that Spanish doctors A day later, his wife wrote that he was in intensive care in a critical condition

Stork says that with immediate treatment, doctors can prevent necrosis from spreading.

"The tissue destroyed by necrosis can not be recovered, but if it is identified early enough, patients with tissue necrosis can be treated, "he says." An injury with any necrotic tissue will not heal, so the damaged tissue must be removed as soon as possible by a process called debridement. The patient should also receive antibiotics, often intravenously, to stop the spread of bacteria.

Unfortunately, in the case of Suchilin, he was unable to receive medical treatment in time and the necrosis shifted to the kidneys, heart and lungs. On June 25 he was dead.

Stork says that it is rare that a person with necrosis dies, but that it is again a matter of immediate treatment. To avoid developing the disease, he advises to maintain good hygiene.

"Treat quickly any injury, even if it is small. Wash your hands and area regularly with soap and change dressings regularly. When you have a sore, try to avoid places where bacteria can live, such as pools, oceans, lakes and hot tubs. "

And if anything comes off, it's better to consult a doctor., Infections like necrotizing fasciitis do not seem so scary at first because necrosis occurs under the skin," says Stork. that is why, if you have unexplained pain, redness, swelling, or other disturbing symptoms, I always tell people to check it sooner rather than later. "