Gangrene is a life-threatening condition that often develops as a complication of a pressure sore. When pressure sores are left untreated, blood flow to that area is often reduced, which increases the risk of bacteria overgrowth. This bacterium is difficult for an already weakened immune system to remove and it quickly overwhelms the body, resulting in the development of gangrene.
If pressure sores are not recognized early and treated quickly by negligent nursing home staff, gangrene can develop in that area. As the affected tissues begin to deteriorate, the area tends to have a strong odor with a greenish-black discoloration along with a fever, intense pain, and the patient will have a general feeling of illness.
Gangrene is a serious condition that requires hospitalization and intense antibiotic treatment which may not always be successful. Patients with gangrene often require surgical intervention to remove dead and dying tissue and amputation of the affected limb is common.
Typically, gangrene affects those with poor blood circulation and will often be found in the extremities such as the hands, fingers, toes, and feet, but if left untreated can spread to other limbs and the internal organs. There are three types of gangrene, which doctors classify as wet, dry, or gas gangrene.
- Wet gangrene-Wet gangrene is often caused by bacteria and loss of circulation. Most pressure sores involve the wet version of gangrene and immediate treatment is vital to preventing wet gangrene from becoming gas gangrene, which is much more difficult to treat.
Symptoms of wet gangrene include fever, swelling, redness, intense pain, oozing skin, foul odor from the wound, and the skin will begin to blacken.
- Gas gangrene- Gas gangrene progresses rapidly when bacterium begins to produce gas bubbles and swelling that damages the skin and decreases blood circulation even further. In severe cases, black bubbles of gangrene gasses will erupt under the skin. Gas gangrene requires immediate hospitalization for life-saving measures to begin, although gas gangrene is often fatal.
- Dry gangrene-Dry gangrene does not normally require a bacterial infection to form. Instead, dry gangrene will form due to an arterial occlusion or a restriction in blood flow and this form of gangrene is easiest to treat. Rarely does dry gangrene result in sepsis, but it is possible if it is left untreated.
Dry gangrene will often present with a mummy-like appearance to the skin where the skin will shrink and slough away and surgical debridement or amputation may be necessary.
Treatment of gangrene is often extensive and always requires hospitalization. Surgery and strong antibiotic treatments are often the first line of defense, but alternative treatment methods may also be used including:
- Maggot therapy;
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy;
- Vascular surgery;
- Amputation.
Gangrene often involves significant scarring which may then require follow-up reconstructive therapy.
Pressure sores and the subsequent gangrene that may develop are almost always the cause of neglect by nursing home staff. When staff is overworked, undertrained, and negligent, residents do not receive the important and life-sustaining care they require.
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