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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffWhen gangrene affects your skin, signs and symptoms may include:
- A blue or black discoloration of your skin
- Severe pain followed by a feeling of numbness
- A foul-smelling discharge leaking from a sore
If you have a type of gangrene that affects tissues beneath the surface of your skin, such as gas gangrene or internal gangrene, you may notice that:
- The affected tissue is swollen and painful
- You're running a fever and feel unwell
A condition called septic shock can occur if a bacterial infection that originated in the gangrenous tissue spreads throughout your body. Signs and symptoms of septic shock include:
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
- Lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
When to see a doctor
Gangrene is a serious condition and needs immediate treatment. Call your doctor right away if you have persistent, unexplained pain in any area of your body along with one or more of the following signs and symptoms:
- Persistent fever
- A wound that's slow to heal or recurring sores
- A foul-smelling discharge leaking from a sore
- Skin that's become pale, hard, cold and numb — which may be an indication of frostbite
- Meislin HW, et al. Soft tissue infections. In: Marx JA, et al., eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/141947879-3/849444931/1365/420.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50140-2_7293. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Stevens DL. Necrotizing fasciitis, gas gangrene, myositis and myonecrosis. In: Cohen J, et al. Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/141947879-5/849445124/1209/32.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02407-6..50012-X_334. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Stevens DL. Necrotizing infections of the skin and fascia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Abrahamian FM, et al. Management of skin and soft-tissue infections in the emergency department. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;22:89.
- May AK. Skin and soft tissue infections. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2009;89:403.
- Kaide CG. Hyperbaric oxygen: Applications in infectious disease. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2008;26:571.
- Neschis DG. Clinical manifestations and evaluation of chronic critical limb ischemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Sepsis and septic shock. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec06/ch068/ch068a.html. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Anderson DJ, et al. Skin and soft tissue infections in older adults. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine. 2007;23:595.
- Sheps SG (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 6, 2009.
