eMedicine Specialties > Infectious Diseases > Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections
Clostridial Gas Gangrene: Follow-up
Updated: Jun 23, 2008
Follow-up
Further Inpatient Care
- If patients survive, they typically are hospitalized for several weeks.
Transfer
- Transfer is required infrequently and may be detrimental to the patient.
- As long as the treating facility has the capability and experience to provide adequate surgical and intensive care, no transfer is necessary.
- Transfer merely to obtain access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not indicated.
Complications
- Death
- Amputation
- Permanent deformity or disability
Prognosis
- Most patients do fairly well if they survive the initial critical period.
- Shock in patients presenting with clostridial myonecrosis portends a worse prognosis.
Miscellaneous
Medicolegal Pitfalls
- Failure to make a correct and timely diagnosis of clostridial gas gangrene can lead to catastrophic, if not life-threatening, consequences for the patient.
More on Clostridial Gas Gangrene |
| Overview: Clostridial Gas Gangrene |
| Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Clostridial Gas Gangrene |
| Treatment & Medication: Clostridial Gas Gangrene |
Follow-up: Clostridial Gas Gangrene |
| References |
| « Previous Page |
References
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Further Reading
Keywords
clostridial gas gangrene, Clostridium gas gangrene, clostridial myonecrosis, myonecrosis, gangrene, soft tissue infection, Clostridium, Clostridium perfringens, C perfringens, Clostridium welchii, C welchii, Clostridium novyi, C novyi, Clostridium septicum, C septicum, Clostridium histolyticum, C histolyticum, Clostridium bifermentans, C bifermentans, Clostridium fallax, C fallax, battlefield injury, war wound, clostridia, compound fracture, frost bite, frostbite, bed sores, bedsores, pressure sores, burns, burn injury
Follow-up: Clostridial Gas Gangrene