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Gangrene
Gangrene is the death and subsequent decay of body tissues caused by
infection, also known as tissue necrosis. It is most commonly the result
of critically insufficient blood supply sometimes caused by an injury
and subsequent contamination of the wound with bacteria. This condition
is most common in the extremities.
One specific example of gangrene is so called diabetic foot that can
be seen in long-standing complicated diabetes. It is caused by a
combination of arterial ischemia, injury and poor healing that is rather
common in diabetics.
The most common medical treatment for irreversible gangrene is
amputation.
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In the years before antibiotics, fly maggots were commonly used to
treat wounds to prevent or stop gangrene, as they would only consume
dead flesh. Their use largely died out after the introduction of
antibiotics. In recent years, however, maggot treatment has regained
some credibility and is sometimes employed to great effect in cases of
chronic tissue necrosis.
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