Gangrene

Diagnosis

The following tests are used to help identify gangrene:

• Blood tests. An infection is frequently indicated by a high white blood cell count. To screen for the presence of particular bacteria and other pathogens, further blood tests may be performed.
• Fluid or tissue culture. In a fluid sample taken from a skin blister, tests can be performed to look for bacteria. A tissue sample can be examined under a microscope to look for indications of cell death.
• Imaging tests. Organs, blood vessels, and bones can all be seen by X-rays, Computed Tomography (CT) scans, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. These tests can assist in determining the extent of gangrene’s spread within the body.
• Surgery. To gain a closer look inside the body and see how much tissue is infected, surgery may be performed.

Treatment

There are treatments that can stop gangrene from getting worse. Your chances of recovering are increased the sooner you receive therapy. The primary objectives of treatment are to:

• Eliminate necrotic or infected tissue from the body.
• Prevent or address infections to hinder the spread of gangrene.
• Enhance blood circulation to improve overall blood flow.

Gangrene can be treated with any combination of medication, surgery, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Medications

Antibiotics are medications that are either orally or intravenously to treat bacterial infections.

Painkillers may be administered to ease discomfort.

Surgery or other procedures

More than one surgery can be required, depending on the nature and severity of the gangrene. Gangrene surgery entails:

• Debridement. To remove the infected tissue and stop the infection from spreading, this kind of surgery is performed.
• Vascular surgery. In order to restore blood flow to the affected area, surgery such as bypass and angioplasty may be performed to repair any injured or diseased blood vessels.
• Amputation. The infected body part, such as a toe, finger, arm, or leg, may need to be medically amputated in severe cases of gangrene. You might later have a prosthesis (artificial limb) fitted.
• Skin grafting. Surgery may occasionally be required to restore damaged skin or to lessen the visibility of scars from gangrene. A skin graft may be used during such operation. The surgeon uses healthy skin from another location of the body to cover the damaged area during a skin graft. A skin graft can only be performed if the location has sufficient blood flow.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

A chamber that is pressurized with just pure oxygen is used for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Typically, you lie on a table that glides into a clear plastic tube and is cushioned. In the chamber, the pressure will gradually increase to around 2.5 times that of normal air pressure.

Increased oxygen transport by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Bacteria that reside in oxygen-deficient tissue develop more slowly in blood that is oxygen-rich. Additionally, it speeds up the healing of infected wounds.

A gangrene hyperbaric oxygen therapy session typically lasts 90 minutes. Two to three treatments daily may be necessary until the infection is gone.