Critical Point-of-care Ultrasound Diagnosis of Fournier's Gangrene: A Case Report

• Published in: Clinical practice and cases in emergency medicine Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 57 - 72
• Main Authors: Ramm, Lauren, Guidry, Kayla, Cirilli, Angela, Kurkowski, Ellen, Yu, Connie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States University of California Digital Library - eScholarship 01.02.2022; University of California Irvine, Department of Emergency Medicine publishing Western Journal of Emergency Medicine; eScholarship Publishing, University of California
• Subjects: Acidosis; Blood pressure; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiovascular disease; Case Report; Case reports; Clinical medicine; Debridement; Diabetes; Edema; Emergency medical care; Erythema; Gangrene; Hypotension; Infections; Kidneys; Medicine; Mortality; Necrotizing fasciitis; Patient safety; Point of care testing; Sepsis; Ultrasonic imaging; Vein & artery diseases
• ISSN: 2474-252X; 2474-252X
• DOI: 10.5811/cpcem.2021.11.54849

Fournier's gangrene is a severe, necrotizing, and potentially fatal, soft tissue infection of the perineum that can be difficult to diagnose clinically. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has established a critical role in emergency medicine as a quick diagnostic tool due to its safety, accuracy, and cost effectiveness. We present a case in which POCUS was used to rapidly confirm diagnosis in an unstable, severely septic patient presenting to the emergency department with Fournier's gangrene. Point-of-care ultrasound can be used to make the diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene in critical patients when other diagnostic modalities are not feasible due to a patient's clinical state.