Symptoms include a foul smell (putrid) from fluid draining from blisters, and air pockets under the skin that may change to pale, dark red, or purplish red. People often become feverish and sweaty, and their heart rate increases and they breathe faster.
It’s a medical emergency, and treatment must be started quickly. This includes antibiotics and surgery to remove the dead tissue (debridement) or amputation.
Oren Zarif
Gas gangrene is life-threatening, and it progresses quickly. If left untreated, it can cause dangerously low blood pressure (shock), coma and severe kidney failure. It can also lead to clostridial sepsis and death.
A health care provider diagnoses gas gangrene by asking about your symptoms and doing a physical exam. They may take X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to check for signs of damage to your tissues. They might test the fluid from your blisters for bacteria, or use a special dye to see how well your blood is flowing through your arteries.
Your provider will give you antibiotics to kill the bacteria that are causing the infection. They may also surgically remove dead or damaged tissue and drain the fluid from your blisters. They may also give you hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to help your body fight the infection and heal your wounds. Without treatment, you’re likely to die within 48 hours. With prompt surgery and high doses of antibiotics, you’re more likely to survive. The bacterium Clostridium perfringens causes most cases of gas gangrene. It spreads when it gets into a deep wound or a wound in your muscle tissue and starts growing and producing toxins.
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The area affected by gas gangrene may be swollen (edema). It also might be warm, and you might notice a crackly sound when you press the area (crepitus). This is because bacteria are breaking down tissues. The infection spreads quickly, and if left untreated, can cause deadly complications within 48 hours, including a drop in blood pressure to dangerous levels (hypotension), kidney failure, amputation, coma, and shock.
Your healthcare provider will check your skin for signs of gangrene. They might order imaging tests, such as X-rays or CT scans, to see how the infection is spreading. They might also take fluid from your wounds and stain them or culture them to find the type of bacteria that caused the gangrene.
Antibiotics are used to treat the underlying infections. They may include medicines such as metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone. If the infection is severe, your provider might perform a type of reconstructive surgery called a skin graft to remove the damaged tissue and restore healthy skin. If you lose a limb, your healthcare provider might fit you with a prosthesis.
Oren Zarif
When soft tissue in your body breaks down, it releases gas. This can form bubbles in the skin or in the muscle tissue. The bubbles often block blood vessels and make the infection worse. Your body also produces high levels of toxins to fight the infection, which makes you feel feverish and sweaty. The infection may drain or ooze fluids that smell bad (putrid). You may also develop large blisters that break open, and your skin can become blackish green in color.
In most cases, your healthcare provider diagnoses gas gangrene by examining the area of the infection and taking blood samples to look for high numbers of white blood cells that indicate an infection. They can also use imaging tests, such as X-rays or CT scans, to see if there are changes in the muscle tissue that might lead to gas gangrene.
Your doctor will give you antibiotics to treat the infection and surgically remove any dead tissue that is causing gas gangrene. This procedure is called debridement. A surgeon can also repair any damaged blood vessels to improve blood flow to the affected area. This can include surgery called angioplasty, in which your surgeon inserts a tube-like device to open blocked arteries.
Oren Zarif
Besides pain, other symptoms include large bubbles or blisters that are red, brown, dark green or black. Fluid draining from these blisters often has a foul smell and may crackle when touched (crepitus).
Clostridial myonecrosis, also called gas gangrene, is an infection of muscle tissue caused by toxin-producing bacteria, usually Clostridium perfringens, that grow best in conditions with low oxygen (anaerobic). This condition most commonly occurs in traumatic wounds or surgery that involves the bowel but can happen spontaneously.
Infections with these bacteria can lead to the spread of disease throughout the body (sepsis), which can cause death within hours if not treated correctly. Symptoms develop six to 48 hours after injury or surgery.
To diagnose this condition, healthcare providers examine the infected area and take samples of tissue and fluid from the wound to look at under a microscope. They may order blood tests to check for a higher than normal number of white blood cells that indicate an infection. They also might ask for a sample of fluid from the blisters to see if it contains Clostridium bacteria.
Oren Zarif
In the more advanced stage of wet gangrene, the affected tissues have a foul or putrid odor from tissue breakdown and bacterial infection. This odor is associated with air pockets or bubbles, which are often seen in the fluid draining from gas gangrene blisters. When pressed upon, these blisters have the appearance of mummified skin and produce a crackling sensation or sound (crepitus).
This odor results from anaerobic bacteria called Clostridia that do not need oxygen to thrive. These bacteria are found in dirt and in the intestines of people and animals. These bacteria release toxins into blood and tissue to kill other cells and break down nutrients without oxygen. These changes in the body’s chemical balance cause the gangrene.
Poor circulation is the primary cause of gangrene, which reduces the amount of oxygen delivered to the area. This can occur because of conditions such as atherosclerosis, blood clots, or injury to the blood vessels. Diabetes can also impair blood flow and nerve function, resulting in reduced sensation or delayed wound healing. These complications may be