Gas Gangrene - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Gas gangrene Definition

Gas gangrene is a severe form of gangrene. Gas gangrene may be caused by C. perfringens. Gangrene occurring in a wound infected with bacteria of the genus Clostridium and may be characterized by the presence of gas in the affected tissue. It can also be from Group A Streptococcus. Staphlococcus aureus and Vibrio vulnificus can cause similar infections. It occurs in devitalized tissues and results from compromised arterial circulation after trauma or surgery.

The incubation period is usually 1 to 4 days but can vary from 3 hours to 6 weeks or longer. Gas gangrene is rare, with only 1,000-3,000 cases yearly in the U.S. Gas gangrene are also known as tissue infection - Clostridial; gangrene - gas; myonecrosis; clostridial infection of tissues.

Gas gangrene Causes

Gas gangrene generally occurs at the site of trauma or a recent surgical wound. About a third of cases occur spontaneously. Patients who develop this disease spontaneously often have underlying blood vessel disease, diabetes, or colon cancer. Localized soft-tissue death from prolonged blood-supply blockage. It can occur in atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, or decubitus ulcer, and after severe burns or frostbite. Clostridium bacteria produce many different toxins, four of which (alpha, beta, epsilon, iota) may be caused potentially fatal syndromes.

Gas gangrene is an infection that produces gas within tissues in gangrene. It is a deadly form of gangrene usually caused by Clostridium bacteria. It is a medical emergency. Gas may be felt in the tissue as a crackly sensation when the swollen area is pressed with the fingers.

Gas gangrene Symptoms

Systemic symptoms develop early in the infection. Most signs of infection develop within 72 hours of trauma or surgery. The hallmark of gas gangrene is crepitation, a result of carbon dioxide and hydrogen accumulation as a metabolic byproduct in necrotic tissues.

The other symptoms of the gas gangrene may be included:

• fever
• coma
• anxiety
• shock
• sweating
• coalescent
• blood pressure
• kidney failure
• moderate to high fever
• skin color initially pale
• vesicle formation
• drainage from the tissues,
• increased heart rate
• subcutaneous emphysema
• blisters filled with brown-red fluid
• foul-smelling brown-red or bloody fluid
• moderate to severe pain around a skin injury
• progressive swelling around a skin injury

Gas gangrene Treatments

Antibiotics, preferably penicillin-type, should be given. penicillin is given as an adjuvant treatment to surgery. Initially, this is given intravenously.

Amputation of an arm or leg may be indicated to control the spread of infection.

Analgesics may be required to control pain.

Treatment is usually surgical debridement and excision with amputation necessary in many cases.

Hyperbaric oxygen has been tried with varying degrees of success.