AFS Compared to AHC in Treatment of Necrotizing Fasciitis NF (NF)

Comparison of Treatment With Acellular Fish Skin (AFS) to Acellular Human Cadaver Allograft (AHC) in the Treatment of Necrotizing Fasciitis (NF)

Necrotizing Fasciitis (NF) is a potentially life-threatening soft tissue infection. This study is comparing acellular fish skin graft (AFS) to standard of care allograft (AHC) in the treatment of NF. The purpose of this study is to compare clinical outcomes and time until autograft take in patients that were treated with AHC or AFS prior to permanent autografting to treat NF.

This will be a prospective, randomized, open-label, interventional, single-center study looking at time to autograft placement and time to full closure in subjects treated with acellular fish skin compared to subjects treated with acellular human cadaver skin to prepare the wound bed prior to grafting. Subjects eligible to receive study treatment will be any adult patient (18 years of age or older) admitted to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center or Advanced Wound Clinic at Doctors Hospital Augusta with a diagnosis of NF that has been treated and is stable. Prior wound excisions will be allowed until the surgeon has deemed the wound stable and free from necrotizing processes. Exclusion criteria will be positive pregnancy test on admission, subject has active diagnosis of any autoimmune process, or cancer that in the opinion of the investigator would prevent the subject from successfully participating in the study.

Eligible Subjects for this single center open label randomized study, will randomize eligible subjects to 2 groups, 15 in the treatment arm and 15 in the control arm. Randomization will be done electronically on day of surgery, enrollment.

Eligible subjects will be randomized electronically to either the Acellular Fish Skin (AFS)arm. The subject will undergo wound bed preparation by surgical debridement. the AFS will be applied to the wound bed and secured with sutures, the size of the AFS will be determined after surgical debridement. Once the AFS is in place a Negative Pressure Wound Therapy device will be placed. the subject will be monitored weekly on scheduled intervals of +/- 4 days post AFS placement to assess the status of the wound and readiness for autografting. Once the wound is ready for autografting the subject will be monitored for autograft take, for up to 9 visits. Long term follow-up will be done at month 3, 6, 9 post autograft placement

.Eligible subjects will be randomized electronically to standard of care arm which is Acellular Human Cadaver (AHC) The subject will undergo wound bed preparation by surgical debridement. The AHC will be applied to the wound bed and secured with sutures, the size of the AHC will be determined after surgical debridement. Once the AHC is in place a Negative Pressure Wound Therapy device will be placed. the subject will be monitored weekly on scheduled intervals of +/- 4 days post AHC placement to assess the status of the wound and readiness for autografting. Once the wound is ready for autografting the subject will be monitored for autograft take, for up to 9 visits. Long term follow-up will be done at month 3, 6, 9 post autograft placement

Acellular Fish Skin, used to temporize a wound bed prior to autograft. The intention is to prepare the wound bed for optimal autograft take.

Acellular Human Cadaver , used to temporize a wound bed prior to autograft. The intention is to prepare the wound bed for optimal autograft take.

Primary endpoint: To compare the time from first application of study product to time of autografting between the two study groups.

To compare the time (number of days) from the first application of study product to time (number of days ) to autografting.

Inclusion Criteria: Is ≥18 years of age. Has been admitted to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital Augusta or Advanced Wound Clinic for treatment of NF which has been treated and is considered stable. Exclusion Criteria: Subject has been previously enrolled into this study or is currently participating in another drug or device study that has not reached its primary endpoint. Index wounds that due to anatomical location are unable to apply a NPWT device.