GANGRENE

TYPES

Gangrene has two types, dry gangrene and wet gangrene.

• Dry gangrene usually affects the hands and feet. It happens when there isa blockage or poor circulation of blood that flows to a specific area. It is common in people with diabetes, autoimmune disease, and vascular disease.
• Wet gangrene results froman infection. It’s called wet because it causes a thick yellowish-white fluid that is formed as part of an inflammatory response to your body.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of dry gangrene may include the following:

• Lack of moisture in the skin that can transform from blue to black
• Skin peeling
• Cold and numb skin
• Severe pain

The symptoms of wet gangrene may include the following:

• Swelling or lump and pain
• Arise in body temperature or fever
• Red, brown, purple, blue, greenish-black or black skin
• Blisters or having  smellydischarge
• Crepituswhen you press on the affected area

DIAGNOSIS

The doctor may ask you about your medical history and your  symptoms. He or she may do additional diagnostic procedures or tests to determine your condition. This includes testing a sample of your tissue or fluids from the part of your body that are affected.

Blood test may also be done. If the white blood cell count is not normal, this could be a sign of a gangrenous infection.

Lastly, medical imaging is advisable in diagnosing it that spread over other tissues. This could be in the form of CT scans, X-rays, and MRI scans.

MEDICATIONS

Tissue that has been damaged by gangrene can’t be saved, but people who have dry gangrene can get a chance to recover fully because it doesn’t involve bacterial infection. There are many ways to prevent gangrene from occurring, but this also depends on whether the gangrene is severe already or not.

Surgery is applicable to remove dead tissue and may stop this from spreading. Antibiotics may be used to deal with it and treat infected tissues . Treatments may also include supportive care that comprises of fluids, a healthy diet, and pain medication to lessen pain.