The Basics

Sample of a foot with parts assessed

Clostridium perfringens, or Gangrene, as said before, cannot be contracted from anyone else except yourself. That is because gangrene is the death of an area on your body. The only ways it can be developed are when blood supply is cut off from your body, called dry gangrene, or if a wound goes untreated for sometime and the swelling occurs causing lack of blood supply, called wet gangrene. Both conditions are fatal to anyone. Usually, gangrene occurs at the tips of the body, such as the toes, feet, fingers, and hand.

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Dry Gangrene

Dry gangrene is caused by a reduction of blood flow through the arteries. It appears gradually and progresses slowly. In most people, the affected part does not become infected. In this type of gangrene, the tissue becomes cold and black, begins to dry, and eventually sloughs off.

A hand that has developed Dry Gangrene

Wet Gangrene

Fingers that have developed Wet Gangrene

Wet or moist gangrene develops as a complication of an untreated infected wound. Swelling resulting from the bacterial infection causes a sudden stoppage of blood flow. Cessation of blood flow facilitates invasion of the muscles by the bacteria and multiplication of the bacteria because disease-fighting cells (white blood cells) cannot reach the affected part.

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