Real-time detection of flesh-eating soft-tissue infections using a safe fluorescent dye
Real-Time Diagnosis of Life-Threatening Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections Using Indocyanine Green Kinetic Modeling
Using a safe injected dye and a special near-infrared camera to quickly find dangerous flesh-eating soft-tissue infections in people who come to the hospital with severe skin and soft-tissue infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lebanon, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11233272 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you come to the emergency department with a severe skin or soft-tissue infection, doctors would inject a FDA-approved dye called indocyanine green (ICG) and use a near-infrared camera to watch how the dye moves through the affected tissue. Areas with blocked blood vessels from necrotizing infection show a lack of fluorescence that can help distinguish life-threatening disease from more common infections like cellulitis. The team will use kinetic modeling of the dye signal and compare imaging results to surgical findings and clinical outcomes to see how well the method works. The goal is to make a faster, clearer diagnosis so treatment decisions can happen sooner.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who present to the hospital with suspected necrotizing soft-tissue infection or rapidly worsening severe skin/soft-tissue infection would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with minor skin infections not suspected of necrotizing infection, or those who cannot receive ICG (for example due to a known severe iodine-related allergy), may not receive benefit from this imaging approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could allow faster and more accurate diagnosis of necrotizing soft-tissue infection, leading to earlier lifesaving surgery and fewer missed or delayed cases.
How similar studies have performed: An earlier first-in-human study (NCT04839302) showed promising ability of ICG imaging to distinguish necrotizing infection from cellulitis, but larger studies are needed to confirm those findings.
Where this research is happening
Lebanon, United States
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic — Lebanon, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Henderson, Eric R — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
- Study coordinator: Henderson, Eric R
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.