Blood tests can help diagnose 'flesh-eating bacteria'

Washington

- Researchers have found two simple blood tests can help physicians diagnose "flesh-eating bacteria," according to a study published in

The American Journal of Surgery

.

Researchers studied 21 patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections, who were admitted between July 2006 and November 2007. Only 43 percent of the patients had obvious signs of infection, chinaview.cn reports.

In patients who did not display obvious signs, researchers found that blood tests showing a high white blood cell count or a low serum sodium level helped physician's diagnose necrotizing soft tissue infections.