Gangrene: Historical Problem, Modern Solutions

In history, soldiers were often terrified of seeing field doctors after being wounded. Medicine wasn’t always as advanced as it is now; simple wounds could easily devastate the body. Lack of in-depth knowledge of the human body and poor medications meant many wounds got infected and developed a dangerous problem called gangrene. Although medicine has come a long way, this problem hasn’t disappeared. It can still threaten lives today.

Dead Feet

Gangrene develops when blood flow to a body tissue is interrupted, and the tissue dies. This can occur with any part of your body, but it’s most common in the extremities, like your feet. Any issue that limits your circulation increases your risk of developing this complication, including diabetes, peripheral artery disease, trauma, and infections. Limited blood deprives your cells of the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive. Eventually this state kills the cells. Usually your skin changes color, ranging from pale or reddish-bronze to blue or black. Frequently you have severe pain in the affected area, followed by numbness. You might have sores leaking a foul-smelling fluid as well, and sometimes a fever accompanies the condition.

There are actually five types of gangrene—dry, wet, gas, internal, and Fournier’s—though the most common kinds in the lower limbs are dry and wet. The dry type occurs when blood flow is impeded for an extended period of time. It’s most common in the extremities of people with diabetes or an autoimmune disease.

Wet gangrene almost always involves an infection. A traumatic injury cuts off blood flow to an area, and bacteria moves in. This type can quickly spread to healthy body parts and deteriorate into a life-threatening problem. The other three types of this condition affect other areas of the body, like deep muscles, internal organs, and even the genitals. No matter what type develops, though, this condition is extremely dangerous and can easily become fatal if left untreated.

Saving the Body

Tissue that has died cannot be saved. The condition does need immediate treatment, though, because the presence of gangrene can cause the body to go into shock, or allow dangerous infections to spread. Either situation is a life-threatening emergency. Our expert staff here at Absolute Foot Care Specialists will carefully examine the potentially gangrenous limb to determine the extent of the condition. We will need to delineate where the damage ends and healthy tissue begins. Then we can take steps to eliminate the problem and prevent its spread.