Can you get gangrene from a blister

The faster you get treatment, the better your chance for recovery. Treatment for gangrene may involve medication, surgery or hyperbaric oxygen therapy — or a combination of these therapies — depending on the severity of your condition. Medications to treat a bacterial infection antibiotics are given through an IV or taken by mouth. Depending on the type of gangrene you have and its severity, you may need more than one surgery.

Surgery for gangrene includes:. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is done inside a chamber pressurized with pure oxygen. You usually lie on a padded table that slides into a clear plastic tube.

The pressure inside the chamber will slowly rise to about 2. When you're safely exposed to increased pressure and oxygen, your blood can carry more oxygen. Oxygen-rich blood slows the growth of bacteria that live in tissue lacking oxygen and helps infected wounds heal more easily.

The treatment for gangrene generally lasts about 90 minutes. You may need two to three treatments every day until the infection clears. Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of gangrene. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may be told to go to the emergency room or to call or your local emergency number for medical help.

If you have time before you leave home or on the way to the hospital, use the information below to get ready for your medical evaluation. Your doctor is likely to ask you several questions to help determine the next steps in making your diagnosis and starting care. Your doctor may ask:. All rights reserved. Terms of Use. Overview Gangrene is death of body tissue due to a lack of blood flow or a serious bacterial infection.

Symptoms When gangrene affects your skin, signs and symptoms may include: Skin discoloration — ranging from pale to blue, purple, black, bronze or red, depending on the type of gangrene you have Swelling Blisters Sudden, severe pain followed by a feeling of numbness A foul-smelling discharge leaking from a sore Thin, shiny skin, or skin without hair Skin that feels cool or cold to the touch If you have a type of gangrene that affects tissues beneath the surface of your skin, such as gas gangrene or internal gangrene, you may also have a low-grade fever and generally feel unwell.

Signs and symptoms of septic shock include: Low blood pressure Fever, although some people may have a body temperature lower than the normal Call your doctor right away if you have persistent, unexplained pain in any area of your body along with one or more of the following signs and symptoms: Persistent fever Skin changes — including discoloration, warmth, swelling, blisters or lesions — that won't go away A foul-smelling discharge leaking from a sore Sudden pain at the site of a recent surgery or trauma Skin that's pale, hard, cold and numb Causes Causes of gangrene include: Lack of blood supply.

Your blood provides oxygen and nutrients to your body. It also provides your immune system with antibodies to ward off infections. Dial immediately for an ambulance if you think that you or someone you know is in septic shock. Anyone can develop gangrene, particularly after a serious injury. But there are certain groups of people who are more at risk of developing gangrene. The earlier treatment for gangrene begins, the more successful it's likely to be.

The main treatments include surgery to remove damaged tissue and antibiotics to treat any underlying infection. In more severe cases, it may be necessary to remove an entire body part such as a toe, foot, or lower leg. This is known as amputation. If you have a condition that increases your risk of getting gangrene, such as diabetes, it's important you have regular check-ups to assess the state of your feet.

Stopping smoking if you smoke and adopting a healthy lifestyle, with a low-fat diet and regular exercise , can also improve your circulation and reduce your risk of developing gangrene. We will not reply to your feedback. Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers. The nidirect privacy notice applies to any information you send on this feedback form.

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For queries about your identity check, email nida nidirect. In some cases, it may be caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. The infection occurs suddenly and spreads quickly. Gas gangrene generally develops at a recent surgical or injury site. In rare cases, it may happen spontaneously, without an apparent cause.

Your doctor can diagnose gas gangrene by performing a physical examination and ordering various tests. Diagnostic testing may include:. Treatment for gas gangrene must begin immediately. Once a diagnosis is made, high doses of antibiotics will be administered intravenously, or through a vein.

For more serious cases, it may be necessary to begin treatment before diagnostic tests are even performed. Dead or infected tissue will need to be surgically removed right away. Your doctor may also try to repair damaged blood vessels to boost blood flow to the affected area.

Damaged tissues can also be treated with a type of reconstructive surgery called a skin graft. During a skin graft, your doctor will remove healthy skin from an unaffected part of your body and attach it over the damaged area. This can help restore any skin damage caused by gas gangrene.

In severe cases of gas gangrene, amputation of a limb may be necessary to prevent the infection from spreading to the rest of your body. Once your wound has healed, you may be fitted with a prosthetic limb.

This is an artificial limb that may be attached to the amputation site to replace the missing body part. Some doctors and hospitals use hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat gas gangrene. This type of therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber for about 90 minutes.

You may receive two to three treatments per day. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy steadily increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, helping infected wounds to heal faster.

Gas gangrene is a very serious condition that often begins unexpectedly and progresses rapidly. The infection can quickly become life threatening when left untreated. However, your individual outlook will depend on your overall health, the severity of the infection, and the location of the infection. Potential complications include:. The sooner gas gangrene is treated, the better the outcome.

The best way to prevent gas gangrene is to practice proper hygiene. If you have an injury, make sure to clean the skin thoroughly and to cover the wound with a bandage. Contact your doctor at the first signs of infection.