Clinical Features of Clostridial Myonecrosis (Gas Gangrene)

 

Incubation period: from 6 hours to several days after the initial injury

 

Clinical symptoms have an acute onset with:

(1) increasingly severe pain

(2) tachycardia

(3) diaphoresis

(4) pallor

(5) toxic appearance

(6) altered affect, ranging from apathy or apprehension

 

Physical findings:

(1) low grade fever

(2) increasing edema over the affected area

(3) yellowish to brown discoloration of overlying skin, with development of tense bullae

(4) local tenderness

(5) foul-smelling discharge which may contain gas bubbles

(6) crepitus

(7) jaundice may develop

 

A Gram stain shows large number of large Gram-positive bacilli with blunt ends.

 

Complications associated with poor prognosis:

(1) hypothermia

(2) shock

(3) renal failure

(4) progression to delirium, stupor and coma