Gangrene

 What is Gangrene?

Gangrene is an extremely dangerous medical condition. Gangrene is the term used to describe body tissue death, which usually only happens with severe blood loss or bacterial infection. Even though it usually only affects limbs, fingers, toes... it can also affect muscle tissues, organ tissues and even genitals in cases of Fournier's Gangrene.

Types of Gangrene: 

- Dry Gangrene

- Wet Gangrene

- Gas Gangrene (wet)

- Internal Gangrene (wet)

- Fournier's Gangrene (wet)

- Meleney's Gangrene (wet)

What is Dry gangrene?

Dry gangrene is a type of gangrene that is not caused by infection. Dry gangrene is only caused by loss of blood, which causes the tissue to turn black, dry up and fall off. However, a dry gangrene can become an infection, causing a wet gangrene.

What is Wet gangrene?

Wet gangrene is usually always because of a bacterial infection. As the name suggests, wet gangrene causes blisters to build up, causing it to be wet from the pus. The blisters swells and can quickly cut off blood circulation and also easily spread to other parts of the body.

What is Internal gangrene?

Internal gangrene is a type of wet gangrene. It refers to gangrene of internal organ tissues, and it can affect organs like the colon, intestines and more. This can be extremely fatal if left untreated. 

What is Fournier's gangrene?

Fournier's gangrene is a rare type of gangrene, usually caused by Necrotizing Fasciitis, and it specifically attacks the male genitals. 1 in 62500 men have Fournier's Gangrene every year, making them 10 times more affected than women, but this doesn't mean women won't be affected. Older males between the ages of 50 and 60 are also more vulnerable to it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, children almost never get Fournier's Gangrene.

What is Meleney's gangrene?

Meleney's gangrene, or Progressive Bacterial Synergistic Gangrene is another rare type of gangrene. It is very dangerous because it can spread at a phenomenal speed. It usually only happens after surgeries with an unclean wound, however, the mortality rate can be up to 40%, and for diabetic people, the mortality rate can shoot up to 90%. It is also hard to diagnose it because symptoms aren't obvious.

Causes:

- Trauma

- Burns

- Deep wounds

- Blocked off blood supply

- Bacterial infection

Symptoms:

- Blisters/Swelling with pus and blood coming out

- Foul-smelling wound

- Discoloured skin

- Pale and cold skin

- Severe pain

- Numbness

- Septic Shock

Treatment: 

- Antibiotics (kill bacteria)

- Skin Debridement (Surgery)

- Maggot Debridement

- Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber (for Gas Gangrene)

- Vascular Surgery

Prevention:

- Wash your wounds 

- Lose weight

- Eat less cholesterol so it wouldn't block your arteries

- Care for Diabetes

- Prevent severe frostbites