CHENNAI: A city-based private hospital in the city performed swift identification and immediate surgical intervention for a 26-year-old mother who found herself grappling with a severe infection in her right breast while nurturing her newborn. Initially seemed like routine pain, swelling, but upon examination, the severity of tissue damage became apparent, demanding urgent surgery to excise the affected areas. The subsequent laboratory analysis uncovered a multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDR), leading to a targeted antibiotic treatment plan.

After enduring a challenging five-day hospitalisation, she underwent regular dressing changes for two weeks. Returning for plastic surgery two weeks later, her tissue from the back became the cornerstone in rebuilding what the infection had taken away. Necrotising soft tissue infections, known for their aggressiveness and severity, are typically associated with potent bacteria causing tissue death. Dr Arul Mozhui Mangai, Consultant, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kauvery Hospital said, “Pay heed to early signs of breast infection such as fever, pain, redness, and swelling. The observation of dark colour in soft tissue infection becomes a signal of a potent pathogen, warranting urgent surgical intervention to remove damaged tissue and the application of the right antibiotics to avert further complications.”