Gas gangrene

A disease originating in a wound infected with Clostridium perfringens, resulting in rapid local tissue destruction and death of the person.

A complication of severe wounds in which the bacterium Clostridium welchii breeds in the wound and then spreads to healthy tissue which is rapidly decomposed with the formation of gas.

Form of gangrene in which the causative organism forms gas bubbles in the infected tissue.

Death and decay of wound tissue infected by the soil bacterium Clostridium welchii. Toxins produced by the bacterium cause putrefactive decay of connective tissue with the generation of gas. Treatment is usually by surgery.

Gangrene in a wound infected by a gas-forming microorganism, the most common causative agent being Clostridium perfringens.

A rare yet potentially fatal type of gangrene, which is the death of body tissue, typically occurs because of an infection from the bacterium called Clostridium perfringens. This particular organism flourishes in anaerobic conditions, meaning areas with minimal or no oxygen, like decaying tissue.

Gas gangrene arises abruptly and usually takes place at the location of a recent, severe injury. The bacteria proliferate within the injured tissue, generating toxins that emit a gas, which rapidly extends to the surrounding healthy tissue.

The impacted area typically swells, becomes painful, and turns pale or a reddish-brown hue. Gas accumulates in the tissues, resulting in a crackling feeling when the area is touched. Other initial symptoms of the infection may consist of perspiration, fever, and feelings of anxiety. If the condition goes without treatment, it can progress to serious complications like circulatory shock, kidney failure, coma, and potentially, death.

Penicillin medications can eliminate the bacteria around the periphery of the gangrene, but all diseased tissue needs to be excised surgically. In certain instances, to halt the infection’s spread, it might be necessary to amputate the infected limb. An additional treatment option could be hyperbaric oxygen therapy, where the patient is subjected to high-pressure oxygen, which might assist in eradicating the bacteria.