Gangrene
5/17/2021
During the French Baroque period (roughly 1600 – 1750) there lived a prominent and quite successful composer and conductor within the Court of Louis XIV. His name was Jean Baptiste Lully. And as the story goes, upon the King’s recovery from a most severe illness, to honor the celebration, Lully composed a piece of music written in the traditional style known as, “Te Deum.” While rehearsing, Lully accidentally struck his large toe with the traditional long conducting staff, that was tapped on the floor as a means to keep time. And while the injury was significant, the composer refused to have his wound treated as that might have caused him to be replaced from performance. His condition soon turned into gangrene. Yet, even then, he still refused any medical care. At this point, the court’s physicians believed that the only course of action was to amputate his large toe. Still refusing to acknowledge the situation, the infection propagated through his body and ultimately infected the greater part of his brain, causing his death.
Gangrene is serious. And in many cases – such as in the case of Jean Baptist Lully, it can be fatal. Gangrene happens when the blood flow to a large area of tissue is cut off. This causes the tissue to break down and die. Gangrene often turns the affected skin a greenish-black color. However, the word gangrene is not related to the color green, but to the condition itself. It comes from Greek and Latin words for a gnawing sore or decayed tissue.
Gangrene comes in 2 forms, dry and wet:
- Dry gangrene occurs when the blood supply to tissue is cut off. The area becomes dry, shrinks, and turns black.
- Wet gangrene occurs if bacteria invade this tissue. This makes the area swell, drain fluid, and smell bad.
Gangrene not only is the result of an infected injury, but also due to a burn or even a chronic disease such as diabetes, peripheral artery disease, and Raynaud’s disease.
Treatment of gangrene will usually consist of one or more of these procedures:
- Antibiotics. These medicines can be used to kill bacteria in the affected area. They are used only when wet gangrene is present
- Surgery to remove the dead tissue. This is called debridement. It can help keep the gangrene from spreading to healthy tissues nearby. In cases where the gangrene is widespread, a finger, toe, or even a limb may need to be amputated.
- Maggot debridement. This is a nonsurgical alternative to traditional debridement. During this procedure, clean fly larvae are placed on the affected area to eat away dead tissue and remove bacteria. This is a painless procedure.
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. During this procedure, you are placed in a special pressurized chamber that administers oxygen at high pressures, forcing more oxygen into the affected area. This can promote speed healing and help kill bacteria. This treatment is especially effective in people who develop gangrene from diabetic foot ulcers.
- Vascular surgery. If your gangrene is caused by poor blood flow, your healthcare provider may recommend surgery to improve your circulation. People whose gangrene is a result of a blocked artery, for example, may have bypass surgery or an angioplasty to fix the problem.
You can help prevent gangrene by carefully watching any wounds you have and getting immediate attention if signs of infection develop. This is a primary reason for taking every injury seriously. Even a simple cut or laceration – if not properly treated – could wind up becoming infected. At this point, the situation is nothing to ignore. As such, it is necessary to contact your supervisor immediately and to implement your company’s incident notification process!
Life is a lot like jazz… it’s best when you improvise.