What is gas gangrene?

Answer 1

Gas gangrene, a subset of necrotizing myositis, is an infectious disease emergency caused by organisms in the Clostridium species. The hallmarks of this disease are rapid onset of myonecrosis, gas production, and sepsis.

Answer 2

lyfsavr has something to learn, hard to believe she doesn't know this killer. The first answer is right. Also, gas gangrene was rampant among the troops in WW2 and Korea, Vietnam and especially the South Pacific. A little know medical treatment came from this. Using maggots to help cure it. During WW2 they had no treatment for infections in the prison camps. Men died of infection due to gas gangrene by the dozens until they hit on a treatment. They put maggots on the wounds, the maggots only ate the dead flesh that was infested with gangrene. This was taught at the Army medical schools so it could be used as a future reference. It was used in the Vietnam prisoner of war camps and saved many lives, thanks to the maggots.

Answer 3

Gas gangrene is a severe form of gangrene or tissue death caused by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens. Patients with underlying vascular diseases are more prone to spontaneously develop gas gangrene, which is rapidly progressive and often fatal.

Answer 4

Three members of the genus Clostridium, C. welchii (perfringens), C novyi (oedematiens), and C. septicum, may produce gas gangrene; at least three other members of this genus may contribute to such a process though incapable of producing it themselves.
Infections associated with gas gangrene are often mixed and include various anaerobic organisms as well as toxicogenic clostridia.
Visit: http://www.histopathology-india.net/GasGa.htm

Answer 5

I have several years in the medical field and I have never heard of such a thing. Are you sure you are calling it right? The only thing I can even think is remotely possible would be gangreneous tissue (or dead tissue) caused by a gasseous or chemical burn, but again, I am just guessing here.