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Gangrene

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posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 09:01 AM
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I'm a In-patient phlebotomist at one of the local parish hospital's and I saw gangrene for the first time two days ago. While the patient was being treated in the ER I had to perform a blood culture and I stood there for a few seconds and wondered if any research has been and is being done on a way to cure gangrene and stop it's spread without the need for amputation. I understand the circulatory system very well obviously, but to me it seems there has to be another way.

Any thoughts?



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 09:08 AM
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Gangrene, by definition, is tissue turning necrotic quite quickly...and once that process has begun can be near impossible to stop without removing the infected tissue and stopping the infection. If intervention is to occur, it must center on prevention of circulatory disruption/ unimpeded infection before cell death.

Curing gangrene itself is like bringing the dead back to life. Prevention is the only treatment so far as i know



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 10:43 AM
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One time a Greek friend was explaining me how his mother got some herbs to cure gangrene of his father by boiling the herb and washing the leg one time real good. But he could not tell me the name of herb in English. If you have any connection with people of Greece, I am sure some one will definitely know the answer. This happened in World War II.
These were yellow color flowers grown wild in Country side. The Doctor had told him that he had to amputate his leg. My friend who was a little kid at the time remembers that his mother told his father that she didn't like one legged men and got upset with the news.

[edit on 23-1-2010 by charlie0]



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 02:51 PM
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reply to post by charlie0
 


Rubbing the herb into the wound most likely functioned just like debriding, something we do with soap and water (or sometimes just water, if there is irritation) in the hospital. It's simply a process of getting rid of the dead, necrotic skin by rubbing/cleaning so that the living tissue underneath and around the gangrene isn't harmed.



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 02:54 PM
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I was told by an aboriginal that they used to let flys into their wounds to lay eggs, then cover the wound up. The maggots that hatched would apparently eat the infection, not nice, but life saving


Its one tip that could save someones life if they are trapped out in the bush with a bad cut etc



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 02:55 PM
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Maggot treatment.

You expose the wound to flies. I can't remember for how long (an hour?).

You do this for a few days until you see that there are maggots in the wound. Then you cover the wound with a dressing. Check at least daily.

If the patient complains of pain, or the blood starts to run bright red and fresh, remove the maggots, clean the wound, and dress it again.



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 02:55 PM
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reply to post by OzWeatherman
 


Dude, you stole my thunder by one second!



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 03:01 PM
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Maggot therapy is still in use in some clinical situations (though very, very rarely), absolutely. Hospitals can even buy sterile maggots that have been checked for any sort of bacterial exposre.

The only issue is, once gangrene gets into the circulatory or lymph system or if it seems very near to doing so, such therapy is worthless. Early stage gangrene, though, I imagine it would work.



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 03:04 PM
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The maggot treatment is actually becoming more popular in the western world. Maggots will only eat dead flesh, so when they're placed in the wound, they will eat only the gangrene and leave the living tissue alone.

Repulsive, sure, but surprisingly more precise than cutting away the necrotic flesh and surrounding flesh.

Another treatment is a hyperbaric chamber, forcing oxygen into the cells, preventing the growth of anaerobic bacteria. That is usually done after the necrotic tissue it cut away, though, thereby, at best, still causing muscle loss in the effected area.



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 03:07 PM
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Originally posted by jerico65
Maggot treatment.

You expose the wound to flies. I can't remember for how long (an hour?).

You do this for a few days until you see that there are maggots in the wound. Then you cover the wound with a dressing. Check at least daily.

If the patient complains of pain, or the blood starts to run bright red and fresh, remove the maggots, clean the wound, and dress it again.




Yep, maggots and leeches have shown promise. Leeches secrete a blood thinning enzyme that increases circulation flow and maggots eat any dead flesh.



posted on Jan, 23 2010 @ 07:15 PM
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Originally posted by junglejake
The maggot treatment is actually becoming more popular in the western world. Maggots will only eat dead flesh, so when they're placed in the wound, they will eat only the gangrene and leave the living tissue alone.

Repulsive, sure, but surprisingly more precise than cutting away the necrotic flesh and surrounding flesh.

Another treatment is a hyperbaric chamber, forcing oxygen into the cells, preventing the growth of anaerobic bacteria. That is usually done after the necrotic tissue it cut away, though, thereby, at best, still causing muscle loss in the effected area.


This is very true. In the hospital I work at we use one of two options only.. Hyperbaric Chamber, or amputation. Those options are based on how long you've had gangrene. Hyperbaric is also very expensive and takes a very long time to actually fully heal wounds compared to amputations.

-SD



posted on Jan, 24 2010 @ 10:21 AM
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Originally posted by SDiazIVC

Originally posted by junglejake
The maggot treatment is actually becoming more popular in the western world. Maggots will only eat dead flesh, so when they're placed in the wound, they will eat only the gangrene and leave the living tissue alone.

Repulsive, sure, but surprisingly more precise than cutting away the necrotic flesh and surrounding flesh.

Another treatment is a hyperbaric chamber, forcing oxygen into the cells, preventing the growth of anaerobic bacteria. That is usually done after the necrotic tissue it cut away, though, thereby, at best, still causing muscle loss in the effected area.


This is very true. In the hospital I work at we use one of two options only.. Hyperbaric Chamber, or amputation. Those options are based on how long you've had gangrene. Hyperbaric is also very expensive and takes a very long time to actually fully heal wounds compared to amputations.

-SD


ozone bagging of effected limb is very cheap and quick.
limb washed with warm water and put into plastic bag and sealed.

limb enclosed in any air tight bag and sealed with sellotape.

tube from ozone generator connected to bag...bag inflates with ozone...ozone is transdermal...

kills bacteria..procedure lasts from 45 minutes to 4 hours depending on severity...repeated if required.


used a lot in rumania germany and other countries.cheap and effective...a ozone generator only costs $60 to $200



posted on Jan, 24 2010 @ 10:35 AM
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Arent antibiotics also effective if it's caught in the early stages?

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