What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a retro- and prospective analysis of the treatment and outcomes of 136 patients with gas gangrene over a 20-year period from 1970 to 1990.
What They Found
The study found that gas gangrene after trauma had a 7.1% lethality rate, significantly better than the 28.6% lethality for cases resulting from vascular insufficiency or malignant tumours. Overall, 40.5% of infected extremities were saved. When an operation was performed before or after the first session of hyperbaric oxygenation, lethality was 20% and the rate of saved limbs was 80%, compared to 50% lethality and 45.5% saved limbs with later operation.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its retrospective component and the age of the data, which may limit its current applicability.