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Gas gangrene (also known as clostridial myonecrosis [1]) is a bacterial infection that produces tissue gas in gangrene. This deadly form of gangrene usually is caused by Clostridium perfringens bacteria. About 1,000 cases of gas gangrene are reported yearly in the United States. [2] Myonecrosis is a condition of necrotic damage, specific to ...
Gas gangrene caused by Clostridium perfringens is characterized by severe symptoms, including intense pain at the injury site, fever, rapid heart rate, sweating, and anxiety. The affected area may show signs of swelling, discoloration (ranging from pale to dark red or purplish), and large, discolored blisters filled with foul-smelling fluid.
Gas gangrene is a bacterial infection that produces gas within tissues. It can be caused by Clostridium, most commonly alpha toxin-producing C. perfringens, or various nonclostridial species. [9] [19] Infection spreads rapidly as the gases produced by the bacteria expand and infiltrate healthy tissue in the vicinity.
This toxin has been shown to be the key virulence factor in infection with C. perfringens; the bacterium is unable to cause disease without this toxin. [1] Further, vaccination against the alpha toxin toxoid protects mice against C. perfringens gas gangrene. [2]
Clostridium perfringens causes a wide range of symptoms, from food poisoning to cellulitis, fasciitis, necrotic enteritis and gas gangrene. [16] [17] Clostridium tetani causes tetanus. Several more pathogenic species, that were previously described in Clostridium, have been found to belong to other genera. [6]
Neurological shunt infections are often caused by skin bacteria such as Cutibacterium acnes, [10] or in instances of ventriculoperitoneal shunts that perforate the gut, by anaerobes of enteric origin (i.e. Bacteroides fragilis). [11] Clostridium perfringens can cause of brain abscesses and meningitis following intracranial surgery or head trauma.
Clostridium septicum [1] is a gram positive, spore forming, obligate anaerobic bacterium. Clostridium septicum can cause gas gangrene, but unlike other Clostridium species like Clostridium perfringens, no trauma is necessary at the site of the infection. It is thought that the infection is established by hematogenous spread from the ...
Welch's research was principally in bacteriology, and he is the discoverer of the organism that causes gas gangrene. It was named Clostridium welchii in recognition of that fact, but now the organism usually is designated as Clostridium perfringens.