Back More
Salem Press

Table of Contents

Salem Health: Infectious Diseases & Conditions, 2nd Edition

G

by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt

Gangrene

Category : Diseases and conditions

Anatomy or system affected: Circulatory system, skin, tissue

Also known as: Dry gangrene, gas gangrene, organ death, tissue death, wet gangrene

Definition

Gangrene is the death of an organ or of body tissue. When the blood supply is cut off, the tissue does not get enough oxygen and begins to die. If the gangrene is widespread, shock can occur.

There are three main types of gangrene: dry gangrene, in which a lack of blood supply causes the tissue to dry up and slough off; wet gangrene, which usually occurs when the tissue is infected with bacteria and the tissue becomes moist and breaks down; and gas gangrene, in which a particular type of bacteria (Clostridium) produces gas bubbles in the tissue.

Causes

Causes of gangrene include infection, especially after surgery or injury; diabetes; or any condition that blocks blood flow to the tissues (such as atherosclerosis).

Risk Factors

The factors that increase that chance of developing gangrene include smoking; alcohol use; traumatic injury, especially crushing injuries; wound infection after surgery; frostbite; burns; atherosclerosis; diabetes; Raynaud’s disease; blood clots; ruptured appendix; hernia; and intravenous (IV) drug use.

Symptoms

Symptoms of gangrene include swelling; pain, followed by numbness when the tissue is dead; sloughing off of skin; color changes, ranging from white, to red, to black; shiny appearance to skin; frothy, clear, watery discharge; fever and chills; and nausea and vomiting.

Screening and Diagnosis

A doctor will ask about symptoms and medical history and will perform a physical exam. Tests for gangrene may include blood tests, tests of the discharge and the tissue; X rays; a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (a scan that uses radio waves and a powerful magnet to produce detailed computer images); and a computed tomography (CT) scan (a detailed X-ray picture that identifies abnormalities of fine tissue structure).

Treatment and Therapy

Treatment of gangrene includes antibiotics, given through an IV in a potent form; blood thinners, given to prevent blood clots; debridement, a surgical procedure to cut away dead and dying tissue to keep gangrene from spreading; amputation, or the removal of a severely affected body part; and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, exposure of the affected tissue to oxygen at high pressure.

Prevention and Outcomes

If the patient has diabetes, he or she should be sure to care for his or her hands and feet. If the patient needs surgery, a doctor should be consulted about taking antibiotics. This is especially true if the patient needs intestinal surgery.

Further Reading

1 

Anderson, D. J., et al. “Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Older Adults.” Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 23(2007): 595.

2 

Andreoli, Thomas E., et al., eds. Andreoli and Carpenter’s Cecil Essentials of Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier, 2010.

3 

EBSCO Publishing. DynaMed: Gas Gangrene. Available through http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed.

4 

Folstad, Steven G. “Soft Tissue Infections.” In Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, edited by Judith E. Tintinalli. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.

5 

Mandell, Gerald L., John E. Bennett, and Raphael Dolin, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2010.

6 

May, A. K. “Skin and Soft Tissue Infections.” Surgical Clinics of North America 89 (2009): 403.

7 

Meislin, H. W., et al. “Soft Tissue Infections.” In Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, edited by J. A. Marx et al. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby, 2006.

8 

Wong, Jason K., et al. “Gas Gangrene.” Available at http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic211.htm.

Web Sites of Interest

American Academy of Family Physicians

http://familydoctor.org

American Diabetes Association

http://www.diabetes.org

National Institutes of Health

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabeticfoot.html

Public Health Agency of Canada

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca

See also: Bacterial infections; Cellulitis; Clostridium; Disseminated intravascular coagulation; Fasciitis; Hyperbaric oxygen; Necrotizing fasciitis; Osteomyelitis; Wound infections.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Carson-DeWitt, Rosalyn. "G." Salem Health: Infectious Diseases & Conditions, 2nd Edition, edited by H. Bradford Hawley, Salem Press, 2020. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=Infect2e_0235.
APA 7th
Carson-DeWitt, R. (2020). G. In H. B. Hawley (Ed.), Salem Health: Infectious Diseases & Conditions, 2nd Edition. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Carson-DeWitt, Rosalyn. "G." Edited by H. Bradford Hawley. Salem Health: Infectious Diseases & Conditions, 2nd Edition. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2020. Accessed September 16, 2025. online.salempress.com.