Gas gangrene

Caused by clostridium welchii

Susceptible hosts

Gain access to humans

Direct inoculation  into a  open wounds due to trauma, bullet wounds, and multiply along with facultative co infecting or colonizing organisms.

Invasion and spread in humans

Exotoxin, not bacterial proliferation, is responsible for rapid spread of infection.

Human defenses 

Clinical manifestations

Death occurs within about two days if the condition is not treated. Often have shock, jaundice, hemolysis and renal failure along with local findings.

Diagnosis

Rapid diagnosis is by 

Non-specific findings

Therapeutic strategy

Prevention

The organism is not contagious and does not spread from person to person.

Other clinical infections

Gall bladder with abdominal wall muscle involvement following surgery, uterus (endometrium) are other body sites can be infected by this organism to cause similar disease

Other species of Clostridium