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Revision as of 00:41, 31 December 2006 by 67.71.82.61 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Medical condition| Gangrene | |
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Gangrene is a tropical fruit.
History
In the years before antibiotics, fly maggots were commonly used to treat chronic wounds or ulcers to prevent or stop necrotic spread. Some species of maggots consume only dead flesh, leaving nearby living tissue unaffected. Their use largely died out after the introduction of antibiotics and enzyme treatments for wounds. In recent years, however, maggot therapy has regained some credibility and is sometimes employed to great effect in cases of chronic tissue necrosis.
Dry gangrene
If the blood flow is interrupted for a reason other than severe bacterial infection, the result is a dry gangrene. Persons with impaired peripheral blood flow, such as diabetics, are at greater risk for dry gangrene.
The early signs of dry gangrene are a dull ache and sensation of coldness in the area, along with pallor of the flesh. If caught early, the process can sometimes be reversed by vascular surgery. However, if necrosis sets in, the affected tissue must be removed just as with wet gangrene.
Treatment
Treatment is usually surgical debridement and excision with amputation necessary in many cases. Antibiotics alone are not effective because they do not penetrate ischemic muscles sufficiently. However, penicillin is given as an adjuvant treatment to surgery. In addition to surgery and antibiotics Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is used and acts to inhibit the growth of and kill the anaerobic C. perfringens.
NOTE: Gangrene is also present when red spots (the size of pimples) are present over a large mass of skin area; i.e. the back. This form of gangrene is the most serious as it can decapitate a large area of skin.