Gas gangrene
Gas gangrene is a potentially deadly form of tissue death (gangrene).
Causes
Gas gangrene is most often caused by bacteria called Clostridium perfringens. Also, it can occasionally be caused caused by group A streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Vibrio vulnificus.
Clostridium is found nearly everywhere. As the bacteria grow inside the body, they emit gas and harmful substances (toxins) that can damage body tissues, cells, and blood vessels.
Gas gangrene develops suddenly. It usually occurs at the site of trauma or a recent surgical wound. In some cases, it occurs without an irritating event. People most at risk for gas gangrene usually have blood vessel disease (atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries), diabetes, or colon cancer.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis, sometimes called "hardening of the arteries," occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries. ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleDiabetes
Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleColon cancer
Colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in the large intestine (colon) or the rectum (end of the colon). It is also sometimes simply called colon ca...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleSymptoms
Gas gangrene causes very painful swelling. The skin turns pale to brownish-red. When the swollen area is pressed, gas can be felt (and sometimes heard) as a crackly sensation (crepitus). The edges of the infected area grow so quickly that changes can be seen over minutes. The area may be completely destroyed.
Swelling
Swelling is the enlargement of organs, skin, or other body parts. It is caused by a buildup of fluid in the tissues. The extra fluid can lead to a ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleSymptoms include:
- Air under the skin (subcutaneous emphysema)
Subcutaneous emphysema
Subcutaneous (under the skin) emphysema occurs when air gets into tissues under the skin. This most often occurs in the skin covering the chest or n...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Blisters filled with brown-red fluid
- Drainage from the tissues, foul-smelling brown-red or bloody fluid (serosanguineous discharge)
Serosanguineous
Serosanguineous means contains or relates to both blood and the liquid part of blood (serum). It usually refers to fluids collected from or leaving ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Increased heart rate (tachycardia)
Tachycardia
A bounding pulse is a strong throbbing felt over one of the arteries in the body. It is due to a forceful heartbeat.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Moderate to high fever
- Moderate to severe pain around a skin injury
- Pale skin color, later becoming dusky and changing to dark red or purple
- Swelling that worsens around a skin injury
- Sweating
- Vesicle formation, combining into large blisters
- Yellow color to the skin (jaundice)
Jaundice
Jaundice is a yellow color of the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow coloring comes from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. Jau...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article
If the condition is not treated, the person can go into shock with decreased blood pressure (hypotension), kidney failure, coma, and finally death.
Shock
Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleHypotension
Low blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body may not get enough...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleKidney failure
Acute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleExams and Tests
Your health care provider will perform a physical exam. This may reveal signs of shock.
Tests that may be done include:
- Tissue and fluid cultures to test for bacteria including clostridial species
- Blood culture to determine the bacteria causing the infection
- Gram stain of fluid from the infected area
- X-ray, CT scan, or MRI of the area, which may show gas in the tissues
X-ray
X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleCT scan
A computed tomography (CT) scan is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create pictures of cross-sections of the body. Related tests include:Abdomin...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleMRI
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the body. It does not us...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article
Treatment
Surgery is needed quickly to remove dead, damaged, and infected tissue.
Surgical removal (amputation) of an arm or leg may be needed to control the spread of infection. Amputation sometimes must be done before all test results are available.
Antibiotics are also given. These medicines are given through a vein (intravenously). Pain medicines may also be prescribed.
In some cases, hyperbaric oxygen treatment may be tried.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy uses a special pressure chamber to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleOutlook (Prognosis)
Gas gangrene usually begins suddenly and quickly gets worse. It is often deadly.
Possible Complications
Complications that may result include:
- Coma
Coma
Decreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Delirium
Delirium
Delirium is sudden severe confusion due to rapid changes in brain function that can occur with physical or mental illness.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Disfiguring or disabling permanent tissue damage
- Jaundice with liver damage
- Kidney failure
Kidney failure
Acute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Shock
- Spread of infection through the body (sepsis)
Sepsis
Sepsis is an illness in which the body has a severe, inflammatory response to bacteria or other germs.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Stupor
Stupor
Decreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Death
When to Contact a Medical Professional
This is an emergency condition requiring immediate medical attention.
Contact your provider if you have signs of infection around a skin wound. Go to the emergency room or call 911 or the local emergency number, if you have symptoms of gas gangrene.
Prevention
Clean any skin injury thoroughly. Watch for signs of infection (such as redness, pain, drainage, or swelling around a wound). See your provider promptly if these occur.
Reviewed By
Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Onderdonk AB, Garrett WS. Diseases caused by clostridium. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 246.
Thompson NB. Hand infections. In: Azar FM, Beaty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 79.