Fire Dept. Captain Battles Disease

A Reseda man was recovering at Northridge Hospital Medical Center on Thursday after undergoing surgery to remove skin infected by rare and potentially fatal flesh-eating bacteria, officials said.

Dennis Phelps, 55, a captain with the Oxnard Fire Department, was in critical condition in the intensive care unit after surgeons removed diseased tissue from his right arm, chest and waist on Wednesday, said Kate Preston, a hospital spokeswoman. He was admitted to the hospital Dec. 13.

Phelps’ relatives told emergency room physicians that the firefighter may have contracted the disease when he cut his hand while compacting trash, Preston said. Relatives declined to comment Thursday.

Oxnard Fire Department Chaplain Dan Green said family members “are very hopeful, because there have been positive signs in recent days.”

For example, doctors have reduced Phelps’ pain medication, placed him on a respirator that allows him to breathe more on his own and indicated that the infection has been contained, Green said.

Phelps’ heart, kidney and digestive functions also have returned to normal.

Phelps’ wife, Lisa, and their three children have been buoyed by an outpouring of support from firefighters and residents who have sent cards and flowers, Green said.

A blood drive is planned today at United Blood Services in Ventura, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo.

Firefighters at Engine Company 5 in Oxnard’s La Colonia area are struggling to deal with their colleague’s illness.

“Initially, it was unbelievable,” Capt. Bill Gallaher said. “Dennis has always been the jokester of the department. Any time you hear something serious about him, you have to say, ‘Is this really true?’ ”

Phelps is a fighter, Gallaher said. “We are all optimistic. If anyone can pull off a recovery, it’s Dennis.”

Phelps faces a long recovery process, Dr. Mark Amico said. He already has undergone eight surgeries to remove infected skin and will need reconstructive surgery on his arm, chest and waist.

“He has been fighting his way through this, and he has been improving slowly,” Amico said. “There is a high mortality rate in these cases, but hopefully he is strong enough to make it through this. He has quite a ways to go.”

When a person is infected with the flesh-eating disease, or necrotizing fasciitis, bacteria eat away at muscles, fat and skin tissue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

About 600 cases of the disease were reported in the U.S. in 1999, the latest available figure. The disease is fatal in about 20% of cases.