What Researchers Did
Researchers treated 23 patients with myonecrotic gas gangrene of the extremities using a combination of surgical measures, benzyl-penicillin, and hyperbaric oxygen.
What They Found
The treatment cured 87% (20/23) of patients with myonecrotic gas gangrene. However, half of the surviving patients (10) required amputation at least one level higher than on admission. No single factor, such as age, vascular conditions, or toxicity, was found to influence the infection's course.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its small sample size of 23 patients, which restricted the ability to establish influencing factors or the frequency of death in relation to various patient characteristics.