Fournier’s Gangrene is a Rapidly Spreading Bacterial Infection of the Skin, that can be Fatal if not Immediately Treated

Known as “necrotizing fasciitis,” Fournier’s gangrene is a bacterial infection of the skin that proliferates rapidly. Fournier’s Gangrene is also referred to as “genital gangrene” and “necrotizing fasciitis”.

Fournier gangrene most often affects men. The disease begins with scrotum pain and irritation but quickly develops into tissue decay. Causes of Fournier gangrene include urinary tract infections, abscesses on or near the genitals, and the use of surgical instruments.

The bacteria typically is able to enter the skin through abrasions or other broken skin areas. The perineum of the groin area, for example, has the thinnest layer of protection for the epidermis, so the bacteria finds its way through the scrotal tissue frequently.  The bacteria consumes tissue as the infection spreads. When doctors suspect necrotizing fasciitis, intravenous antibiotics are used but only too late do doctors recognize that they must remove, or “debride’ the infected tissue immediately.

This can cause permanent scarring and disfigurement, or even death. Indeed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1/3 of those who develop Fournier’s gangrene will die from it. In the past 15 years alone, an estimated 800 to 1,300 cases of necrotizing fasciitis have occurred each year in the United States.

Fournier’s gangrene spreads incredibly rapidly and must be treated immediately, even the difference between a few hours can mean life or death. Many people who contract this disease develop life-threatening complications, including sepsis, organ failure, and shock. Many people who suffer from Fournier’s gangrene also develop streptococcal and/or septic shock syndrome. Among people who develop both necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, 60% do not survive. Necrotizing fasciitis can also cause lifelong complications and the loss of limbs.

Fournier’s Gangrene Lawsuits

Starting in 2015, the FDA began to release multiple public safety announcements, warning the public of the links between Invokana/SGLT-2’s and these dangerous adverse effects.

Even though Fournier’s gangrene is typically found in men between 50 and 79 years old, women and children may also be susceptible to contracting it. In a variety of cases, gangrene leads to scarring, reconstructive surgery or even amputation of the affected body part.

The FDA announced it would require a new warning to be placed on all SLGT2 inhibitors, some of which include canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, ertugliflozin, or other diabetes medications such as metformin, which may trigger the onset of a flesh-eating infection (Fournier’s gangrene). While just one cause of the deadly disease, it has been casually linked to it and those who are taking these medication should be aware of the dangers and risks of the medicine.

A number of studies suggest the medication may increase the risk of dangerous side effects such as kidney damage, diabetic ketoacidosis, risk of lower limb amputations, and now life-threatening genital gangrene infection.

Trials Find Gangrene and Amputation Risk for Diabetes Medicine Takers

A clinical trial, CANVAS-R (Study of the Effects of Canagliflozin on Renal Endpoints) tested adult patients suffering from type 2 diabetes.

The study was conducted over a period of one year with two separate groups:

• Patients given canagliflozin

• Patients given a placebo

The risk of amputation for the placebo group was 4.2 of every 1,000 participants, while the risk for the canagliflozin group was 7.5 of every 1,000 participants.

In both studies, amputations were most common in patients’ toes and feet, with a smaller percentage needing a full-leg amputation.

Some patients required multiple amputations, “some involving both limbs.” Results of the CANVAS trial indicated patients using the type 2 diabetes medicine were at an increased risk of amputations.

Similarly, the life-threatening, flesh-eating bacterial infection of the skin, Fournier’s Gangrene, was shown to be a side effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors, making it a side-effect that can be deadly if not treated immediately.

What Compensation is Available for Victims?

Many medications on pharmacy shelves can put people like you at risk of developing severe and even life-threatening complications. And when those complications arise, we believe that you shouldn’t have to pay for your medical bills and lost wages out of your own pocket. We help Fournier’s gangrene injury victims gain compensation for economic damages incurred, as well as for their pain and suffering.

In January of 2024, we tried one of the first marijuana grow and Fournier’s gangrene cases, and obtained a $3.6M judgment against the cultivator for improperly inspecting and maintaining its marijuana grow. We anticipate there will be more to come. The popular cannabis plant has properties that make its cultivation markedly more dangerous when it comes to Fournier’s gangrene; the cannabinoids help open and make more porous the epidermis in areas where it has made contact, this allows more bacteria to enter the body at those sites, and this could lead to unsanitary conditions becoming a threat to health and human safety.

Contact Kintzele Law Group to discuss your potential Fournier’s gangrene lawsuit or genital gangrene lawsuit. You never know what the cause of the bacteria may be, so give us a call.