Comprehensive Review of Gas Gangrene: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Modern Treatment Approaches

Paweł Radkowski, Tomasz Jędrzejak, Łukasz Banasiak and Damian Truszczyński

This study aims to understand gas-gangrene, a life-threatening soft tissue infection caused by anaerobic bacteria and to evaluate the effectiveness of early diagnosis and combined treatment approaches in reducing mortality. Gas gangrene is one of the most common types of soft tissue infections caused by anaerobic bacteria. This condition can be highly fatal, with drastic measures like amputations often failing to ensure patient survival. Infection often develops in individuals with extensive injuries, especially those involving damage to blood vessels. Although anaerobic bacteria can be found in about one-third of all wounds, only a small percentage of cases lead to infection symptoms. Gas gangrene can manifest in various clinical forms, with systemic poisoning and necrotic presentations being the most common. Surgical interventions form the cornerstone of treatment, supplemented by antibiotic therapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

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