Gangrene: Difference between revisions
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== Introduction == | == Introduction == | ||
Gangrene is the death of body tissues due to the loss of blood. It can be caused by illness, injury, or infection and usually happens in extremities like fingers, toes, and limbs. Gangrene can also occur in your organs and muscles <ref>Gangrene. Available from: <nowiki>https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/gangrene-causes-symptoms-treatments</nowiki> ( September 11, 2021).</ref>. | Gangrene is the death of body tissues due to the loss of blood. It can be caused by illness, injury, or infection and usually happens in extremities like fingers, toes, and limbs. Gangrene can also occur in your organs and muscles <ref name=":0">Gangrene. Available from: <nowiki>https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/gangrene-causes-symptoms-treatments</nowiki> ( September 11, 2021).</ref>. | ||
== Symptoms == | == Symptoms == | ||
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Dry gangrene is frequently observed among patients who have vascular disease, diabetes and autoimmune diseases. It usually affects the hands and feet and happens when there is a poor blood circulation to a certain area. Therefore, the tissue that dries up changes color and can either turn brown, purplish-blue or black before the tissue can fall off. There is no infection associated to dry gangrene, but it can lead to wet gangrene if infected. | Dry gangrene is frequently observed among patients who have vascular disease, diabetes and autoimmune diseases. It usually affects the hands and feet and happens when there is a poor blood circulation to a certain area. Therefore, the tissue that dries up changes color and can either turn brown, purplish-blue or black before the tissue can fall off. There is no infection associated to dry gangrene, but it can lead to wet gangrene if infected. | ||
*'''Wet Gangrene'''<br />[[File:Wet Gangrene of the Foot.jpg|border|frameless|266x266px|alt=|right]]Wet gangrene is a condition that involves an infection. Swelling and blistering of the tissue are observed. An infection from wet gangrene can rapidly spread swift around the body<ref name=":0" />. For a patient with history of foot ulcer or tissue injury post diabetes or ischemia, the presence of drainage and edema should be a red flag for a wet gangrene diagnosis. Moreover, a thorough evaluation of the foot is needed to rule out any presence of deep foot abscess that comes with a plantar tenderness <ref>Buttolph A, Sapra A. Gangrene. StatPearls [Internet]. 2021 Aug 11.</ref>. Wet gangrene can progress from dry gangrene as the necrotic tissue becomes infected. In this case, it is therefore accompanied by an edematous and erythematous tissue surrounding the necrotic area <ref>Mahmood, Ahmed Hussein. (2021). Wet Gangrene.</ref>. | |||
* The following types are parts of Wet Gangrene: | |||
* Internal gangrene which affects internal organs such as appendix or colon most of the times. | |||
* Gas gangrene which is rare and dangerous. It is due to an infection inside the body. If left untreated, gas gangrene can cause death within 48hrs <ref>https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gangrene/symptoms-causes/syc-20352567 (Accessed, 13/09/2021).</ref> . | |||
Revision as of 16:58, 3 October 2021
Original Editor - Kirenga Bamurange Liliane Top Contributors - Kirenga Bamurange Liliane, Kim Jackson, Lucinda hampton, Cindy John-Chu and Nupur Smit Shah
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
Gangrene is the death of body tissues due to the loss of blood. It can be caused by illness, injury, or infection and usually happens in extremities like fingers, toes, and limbs. Gangrene can also occur in your organs and muscles [1].
Symptoms[edit | edit source]
Signs and symptoms of gangrene may include the following:
- Skin discoloration which can be from pale to blue, purple, black, bronze or red, depending on the type of gangrene you have
- Swelling
- Blisters
- Sudden, severe pain followed by a feeling of numbness
- A foul-smelling discharge leaking from a sore
- Thin, shiny skin, or skin without hair
- Fever and feeling unwell depending on the type of gangrene
Types of Gangrene[edit | edit source]
There are two main types of Gangrene:
- Dry Gangrene
Dry gangrene is frequently observed among patients who have vascular disease, diabetes and autoimmune diseases. It usually affects the hands and feet and happens when there is a poor blood circulation to a certain area. Therefore, the tissue that dries up changes color and can either turn brown, purplish-blue or black before the tissue can fall off. There is no infection associated to dry gangrene, but it can lead to wet gangrene if infected.
- Wet GangreneWet gangrene is a condition that involves an infection. Swelling and blistering of the tissue are observed. An infection from wet gangrene can rapidly spread swift around the body[1]. For a patient with history of foot ulcer or tissue injury post diabetes or ischemia, the presence of drainage and edema should be a red flag for a wet gangrene diagnosis. Moreover, a thorough evaluation of the foot is needed to rule out any presence of deep foot abscess that comes with a plantar tenderness [2]. Wet gangrene can progress from dry gangrene as the necrotic tissue becomes infected. In this case, it is therefore accompanied by an edematous and erythematous tissue surrounding the necrotic area [3].
- The following types are parts of Wet Gangrene:
- Internal gangrene which affects internal organs such as appendix or colon most of the times.
- Gas gangrene which is rare and dangerous. It is due to an infection inside the body. If left untreated, gas gangrene can cause death within 48hrs [4] .
Gas Gangrene
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gangrene. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/gangrene-causes-symptoms-treatments ( September 11, 2021).
- ↑ Buttolph A, Sapra A. Gangrene. StatPearls [Internet]. 2021 Aug 11.
- ↑ Mahmood, Ahmed Hussein. (2021). Wet Gangrene.
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gangrene/symptoms-causes/syc-20352567 (Accessed, 13/09/2021).
