A new mother from Harwich, Essex, has issued a warning about necrotising fasciitis after the flesh-eating disease nearly killed her just days after she gave birth. Charleigh Chatterton, 27, developed a rash on her stomach six days after delivering her daughter Alessia at Colchester Hospital on 22 April.
Doctors diagnosed the finance administrator with necrotising fasciitis, a rare but serious bacterial infection that destroys tissue under the skin. Miss Chatterton's family was warned she might not survive. 'The doctors said my chances of survival were slim. I think I got diagnosed just in time,' she said.
The infection, which affects about 500 people each year in the UK, can progress rapidly from flu-like symptoms to sepsis and organ failure. In Miss Chatterton's case, the rash was 'as hot to touch as a boiled kettle' and she experienced severe flu symptoms. After a scan revealed gas pockets under her tissue, she underwent emergency surgery to remove dead tissue.
Miss Chatterton was sedated for three days and woke up with two large wounds on her stomach, which were left open for six days before a vacuum pump could be fitted. She spent two weeks in hospital before being discharged to return to her newborn. 'I'm still finding it quite difficult psychologically, but physically I'm doing really well,' she said.
Doctors noted that there was no obvious entry point for the bacteria, as Miss Chatterton had a natural delivery without any cuts or breaks in the skin. Martin Mansfield, deputy chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust, praised staff for their quick action in diagnosing and treating the infection.
Miss Chatterton hopes her story will raise awareness of the disease, which can be fatal if not caught early. 'Most people have never heard of it and early diagnosis can be the difference between life and death,' she said.
