Gangrene Flashcards
What is gangrene
Gangrene is a serious condition where a loss of blood supply causes body tissue to die. It can affect any part of the body but typically starts in the toes, feet, fingers and hands.
What are the symptoms of gangrene
- redness and swelling in the affected area
- either a loss of sensation or severe pain in the affected area
- sores or blisters in the affected area that bleed or produce a foul-smelling pus
Who is infected with gangrene
- diabetes
- peripheral vascular disease
- atherosclerosis
- raynauds
What are the types of gangrene
- Dry gangrene
- Wet gangrene
- Gas gangrene
What causes gas gangrene
- Necrotising myositis caused by deep tissue infection with clostridium spp
- followed contaminated penetrating injuries
- seen in IV drug users and patients who have had abdominal surgery
How do you treat gas gangrene
- Remove all the dead tissue (e.g. Amputation)
- give benzylpenicillin +/- Clindamycin
- hyperbaric oxygen can improve survival and decrease the number of debridements
What is dry gangrene
- This is a type of gangrene is a form of coagulative necrosis that develops in ischemic tissue, where the blood supply is inadequate to keep tissue viable.
- NO INFECTION
What can cause dry gangrene
- peripheral vascular disease
- acute limb ischemia
- high cholesterol
- diabetics
- smokers
How do you treat dry gangrene
restoration of blood supply +/- amputation
What is wet gangrene
Wet, or infected, gangrene is characterized by thriving bacteria and has a poor prognosis (compared to dry gangrene) due to sepsis resulting from the free communication between infected fluid and circulatory fluid
What causes wet gangrene to occur
- due to blockage venous or arterial blood flow
- the stagnant blood flow promotes the growth of bacteria
- can lead to sepsis and death
What can wet gangrene develop from
- injury
- dry gangrene
- embolism
- immune deficiency
What are the risk factors for gangrene development
- smoking
- obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other causes of vascular disease
- excessive alcohol intake, which can lead to nerve damage
- impaired immune function, due for example, to HIV infection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy
- intravenous drug use
What are the symptoms of gangrene
- skin discolouration
- swelling or the formation of blisters filled with fluid on the skin
- a clear line between healthy and damaged skin
- sudden, severe pain followed by a feeling of numbness
- foul smelling discharge leaking from a sore
- thin, shinny skin or skin without hair
- skin that feels cool or cold to the touch
What can cause gangrene
- lack of blood supply
- infection
- trauma
