What is gangrene, symptoms, causes and how to treat

Gangrene is a serious disease that occurs when some region of the body is not receiving the necessary amount of blood or suffers a severe infection, which can cause the death of tissues and causing symptoms such as pain in the affected region, swelling and change in skin color, for example.

The regions of the body that are most commonly affected are the fingers, feet, arms, legs and hands.

Depending on the severity, the location or the causes, gangrene can be divided into several types:

• Gas gangrene: happens in the deepest layers of the muscle due to infection by a gas-producing bacteria. This type is more common after wound infections or surgery; Dry gangrene: develops when a region of the body does not receive the necessary amount of blood and ends up dying due to lack of oxygen, being common in people with diabetes and atherosclerosis; Wet gangrene: it happens when a part of the body suffers a serious infection that causes the death of the tissues, as in the case of burns, injuries by extreme cold, which must be treated immediately, since they endanger the person's life; Fournier's gangrene: it occurs due to an infection in the genital region, being more frequent in men. Learn more about this disease.

Depending on its cause and state of evolution, gangrene can be cured and, often, treatment needs to be done while in hospital.

Main symptoms

Common symptoms of gangrene include:

• Change of skin color in the region, initially becoming red and then darkening; Swelling of the skin and decreased sensitivity; Wounds or blisters that release a foul-smelling liquid; Fever; Cold skin in the affected region; Skin that may make some noise, crackling, to the touch; there may be pain in some cases.

Since gangrene is a disease that slowly worsens over time, as soon as changes in the skin are identified, it is very important to consult a dermatologist or general practitioner to identify the problem and initiate the appropriate treatment, since often early diagnosis facilitates healing.

How the treatment is done

The treatment for gangrene varies according to the cause that is causing the tissue death, however, it usually involves removing the tissues that have already been affected and correcting the cause, allowing the body to heal.

Thus, various forms of treatment can be used, which include:

1. Debridement surgery

Debridement surgery is done in almost all cases to remove tissues that are already dead and that hinder healing and facilitate the growth of bacteria, preventing the infection from spreading and for the affected tissue to heal. Thus, depending on the amount of tissue to be removed, it may only be necessary to have a small surgery with local anesthesia, in the dermatologist's office, or a major surgery with general anesthesia, in the hospital.

Another option, used especially in cases with less extension of dead tissue, is the use of larvae to remove the affected tissue. Generally, this technique has better results in controlling what is removed, since the larvae only eat the dead tissue, leaving it healthy.

2. Amputation

In the most severe cases, where gangrene has already spread throughout the limb and there is already little healthy tissue to save, the doctor may advise amputation, in which the entire affected arm or leg is removed through surgery to prevent gangrene spread to the rest of the body.

In these cases, artificial prostheses are also made to replace the affected limbs, helping to maintain some of the person's quality of life.

3. Antibiotics

Antibiotics are used whenever gangrene is caused by an infection and help to eliminate the remaining bacteria after surgery to remove dead tissue, for example. Since it is more effective to administer these medications through the vein, treatment is usually done while in hospital and started before or shortly after surgery.

4. Bypass or angioplasty

Bypass and angioplasty are two surgical techniques that are normally used when gangrene is caused by a problem that is making it difficult for blood to pass to a certain region.

Possible causes

Gangrene arises when the tissues do not receive the oxygen necessary to survive and, therefore, the main causes include infections and blood circulation problems such as:

• Uncontrolled diabetes; Severe burns; Prolonged exposure to extreme cold; Raynaud's disease; Strong blows; Surgery; Weakened immune system; Infection of skin wounds.

In addition, people who smoke, are overweight, drink alcohol excessively or have a weakened immune system are also at increased risk of developing gangrene.

It is important to follow the doctor's instructions for the care of the gangrene area, because otherwise, complications may occur, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation or amputation of the affected limb.