Gas gangrene?

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Can you get Gas gangrene through small cuts? How much time after a cut is it not helpful to clean a wound?
gas gangreneis a medical emergency which is relatively rare and it usually occurs by certain bacteria in the clostridium species when there is enough tissue damage ( traumatic or surgical) with compromised blood supply .
it can occur spontaneously in patients with colon cancer.
risk factors for gas gangrene ( which is relatively rare) are:
Atherosclerosis
Burns
Chronic alcoholism
Corticosteroid use
Diabetes
Gastrointestinal malignancy
Hypoalbuminemia
Intravenous drug abuse
Malnutrition
Obesity
Peripheral vascular disease
Surgery
Trauma

after any cut you get you should always get it cleaned and you may need a tetnus shot as well
if you notice that your wound is not healing or redness around it occurs or you see a discharge from it or swelling you should go see a physician
try these sites for more help :
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000043.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000620.htm  (+ info)

Gas Gangrene?

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If the bacteria that causes gas gangrene is so commonly found, and people get foot wounds every day, then why are there only a few cases of gas gangrene?
Good first aid & wound care.  (+ info)

What pathogen causes gas gangrene?

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Why does the pathogen affect those with traumatic injuries?
How does the infection cause massive tissue damage?
How would you stop an outbreak of pathogen?
Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic bacteria which means that it thrives in traumatized, devitalized tissue that has lost its blood supply. The bacteria produce gas which expands and disrupts tissue. It also produces alpha toxin which disrupts the cell membranes, causing cellular death and destruction.

Thorough cleansing of wounds and the debridement of devitalized tissue will prevent most infections. The bacteria is sensitive to various antibiotics.  (+ info)

How many people get ill/die per year due to Gas Gangrene?

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Just out of curiosity

I'd also like a source, if you have one :D
Wet gangrene (and specifically gas gangrene) is relatively rare. It's a type of necrotizing myositis. Maybe 1000 cases a year. It varies. Dry gangrene is more common. Mortality from traumatic gas gangrene is 25%, mortality from nontraumatic gas gangrene caused by C. septicum ranges from 67-100%. C. perfringens causes 80-95% of cases of gas gangrene. C. perfringens is anaerobic but C. septicum is aerotolerant and infects normal, healthy tissue (unlike C. perfringens) and therefore may be the deadlier of the two Clostridia.  (+ info)

Where does gas gangrene occur?

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Where in the world does gas gangrene occur?
Gangrene is not a territorial infection. It is bacterial in nature and can occur anywhere in the world. Treatment is surgical intervention, i.e. debridment of the wound. It is a medical emergency. You see gangrene a lot in oxygen starved tissue, such as lower extremties. It occurs more frequently in diabetics and people with peripheral vascular disease.

It is not as uncommon as most people think. I have seen it many times as I work in surgery as a nurse. We generally debride or amuptate the affect extremity.  (+ info)

Is there a difference in the clinical presentation of necrotizing fasciitis v. gas gangrene?

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necrotizing fasciitis v. gas gangrene
i am not sure but i know that gas gangrene requires an anerobic environment for the bacteria to grow. Also there is gas produced so the tissues will be distended. the main cause of gas gangrene is clostridium perfringes. necrotizing fasciitis can be caused by many bacteria and usually results from compermised immune system.
i think it is wise to make a presumptive diagnosis based on if the patient is immunocompermised then i would lean towards necrotizing fasciitis.
if the patient has been injured on soil recently then i lean towards gas gangrene.
oh yea, Necrotizing fasciitis the patients may have vomiting and dirreha. I dont believe that gas gangrene does this to patients.
These are my ideas and may not be 100% true. This is what i remeber from school a long time ago about both diseases.  (+ info)

Does anyone know about the epidimiology of gas gangrene?

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Gas gangrene is rare in the U.S. The condition is most often caused by a bacteria called Clostridium perfringens. However, it also can be caused by Group A streptococcus. Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio vulnificus can cause similar infections.

Under low-oxygen (anaerobic) conditions, Clostridium produces toxins that cause tissue death and related symptoms.

Gas gangrene generally occurs at the site of trauma or a recent surgical wound. The onset of gas gangrene is sudden and dramatic. About a third of cases occur on their own. Patients who develop this disease in this manner often have underlying blood vessel disease (atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries), diabetes, or colon cancer.

Clostridium bacteria produce many different toxins, four of which (alpha, beta, epsilon, iota) can cause potentially deadly syndromes. The toxins cause damage to tissues, blood cells, and blood vessels.

You can read more about it on this site:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000620.htm  (+ info)

what type of organism causes gas gangrene?

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Clostridium
http://www.healthsquare.com/mc/fgmc9031.htm  (+ info)

any one know about something called gas gangrene?

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The bacterial organism that is usually connected to Gas Gangrene is Clostridium perfingens. It is an anaerobic bacteria that is capable of producing large amounts of gas. The gas produced can help shut off blood supply to affected tissues and lead to further tissue necrosis. Gas gangrene is not uncommon, particularly after severe penetrating trauma with soil contamination, such as farming accidents. Hyperbaric oxygen can be beneficial in certain circumstances. Clostridium perfringens does not grow in the pressence of oxygen and increased O2 will help slow growth while antibiotics take effect. Tissue debridement may be necessary to remove necrotic material.  (+ info)

What is gas gangrene?

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Gas gangrene, a subset of necrotizing myositis, is an infectious disease emergency caused by organisms in the Clostridium species. The hallmarks of this disease are rapid onset of myonecrosis, gas production, and sepsis.  (+ info)

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