Refers to an area of dead tissue.
Tissue death occurs when the blood supply to the area is compromised by injury or obstruction of the arteries that
carry blood to the area. Such arterial disease is seen frequently in the legs of the
elderly and of diabetics.
Dead or devitalized
tissue easily becomes infected with a number of
different types of bacteria.
Moist or
wet gangrene refers to dead tissue that is infected.
Dry gangrene is dead tissue that is not infected.
Gas gangrene occurs in
tissue infected by the
Clostridium bacterium, which actually
produces gas in an
infected wound. In addition to local symptoms, clostridial
infection can cause a severe, generalized blood infection.
Treatment of gangrene
depends on the area
involved and on whether
infection has occurred. Systemic
antibiotics and/or surgical removal of the gangrenous part may be necessary as a life-saving measure.