What is gangrene?
Gangrene refers to the death of body tissue due to either a lack of blood flow or a serious bacterial infection. Gangrene may develop as a result of trauma, injury.
Gangrene commonly affects the extremities, including your toes, fingers and limbs, but it can also occur in your muscles and internal organs.
Your chances of developing gangrene are higher if you have diabetes or hardened arteries (atherosclerosis).
Treatments for gangrene include surgery to remove dead tissue, antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The prognosis for recovery is better if gangrene is identified early and treated quickly.
Symptoms:
When gangrene affects your skin, signs and symptoms may include:
- Skin discoloration.
- 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
- A foul-smelling discharge leaking from a sore
- Thin, shiny skin, or skin without hair
- Skin that feels cool or cold to the touch
If you have a type of gangrene that affects tissues beneath the surface of your skin, such as gas gangrene or internal gangrene, you may notice that:
- The affected tissue is swollen and very painful
- You're running a low-grade fever and generally feel unwell
Signs and symptoms of septic shock include:
- Low blood pressure
- Fever, possibly, though temperature may also run lower than the normal 36 C
- Rapid heart rate
- Lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
Types of gangrene:
Doctors distinguish the following forms of gangrene:
- Dry gangrene.
- Wet gangrene.
- Gas gangrene.
- Internal gangrene.
- Fournier's gangrene.
- Progressive bacterial synergistic gangrene (Meleney's gangrene).
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gangrene/symptoms-causes/syc-20352567
