Why is it important to know about gangrene?
Have you ever been out in the snow with less than adequate clothing to protect you from harsh temperatures? Or, maybe you suffer from diabetes and have numbness in your toe and don’t realize that have injured it in some way. These are two common ways in which gangrene can begin to infect a host. Since this is a class on infectious diseases, we will be focusing on wet and gas gangrene, which are caused by bacterial infections, specifically Clostridium perfringens. One way that this gram + bacteria causes infection is through surgical or other wounds in which the surrounding area of tissue doesn’t have enough blood flow to the area. This creates an environment where C. perfringens can thrive. When this happens, one may notice a discoloration of the skin followed by a sore that makes a crackling sound when pressure is applied to it. This indicates the presence of gas inside the wound which is a good indication of gangrene.
Here’s a fine example of a personal experience with gangrene, which may bring this closer to home. At my (Shaun) home in Kahoka, MO, I have a pet goat named Cosmo. One day, Cosmo was messing around and got hung up when her leg got caught in her pen. The resulting wound was treated by a Vet, then wrapped, and we thought Cosmo would be getting better. After a while, it appeared that Cosmo wasn’t getting any better and the wound wasn’t looking very good. One a trip back to the vet a month or so later, Cosmo got anxious in the car and tried to jump over the seat. When this happened, her leg snapped right off. She had a gangrene infection that ended in her losing her leg and making it decompose to the point of being able to break off with light pressure.
Sources:
http://www.ebi.ac.uk/2can/genomes/bacteria/Clostridium_perfringens.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gangrene/DS00993/DSECTION=causes
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