[Use of a faecal shunt system in an orthopaedic surgery unit in a patient with a necrotizing fasciitis of the perineal region].

Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe infection of the subcutaneous tissue, with a higher mortality if treatment is not adequate. Nursing care can be fundamental in obtaining a good outcome of the healing process. We present a case of an 80 year-old diabetic patient admitted to our orthopaedic surgery unit as consequence of a screw displacement in her hip. She was operated on and had to be immobilized during the postsurgical period. Measures were applied to prevent bed sores in the sacral region. Despite these measures the patient developed a pressure sore that became infected, progressing to a necrotizing fasciitis of perineal and bulbar region, which required surgical curettage. Due to contact and exposure to faecal material it was decided to use a faecal shunt system. The number and difficulty of the wound treatments decreased using this system, which had significant advantages for the patient and nurses and for a favourable outcome of the wound. Employing faecal shunt systems could be useful when they are used earlier in patients immobilized due to orthopaedic surgery, with bowel movement changes and bed sore wounds.