Clean any skin injury thoroughly. Watch for signs of infection such as redness, pain, drainage, swelling around the wound , and consult the health care provider promptly if these occur. A culture of drainage or tissue from the area may reveal the causative bacteria. Skin grafts may be required after the infection is cleared. If the infection is in a limb and cannot be contained or controlled, amputation of the limb may be considered.
Outcomes are extremely variable.
The type of infecting organism, rate of spread, susceptibility to antibiotics, and how early the condition was diagnosed all contribute to the final outcome. Scarring and deformity are minimal outcomes for this type of disease. Fatalities are high even with aggressive and advanced treatment and powerful antibiotics. Untreated, the infection invariably spreads and causes death. Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum is a chronic skin disease characterized by shiny plaques that vary in color from light yellowish to reddish-tan.