Treatment of Severe Anaerobic Infections

Abstract

A series of 29 patients with the clinical diagnosis of gas gangrene has been reviewed with respect to diagnosis, treatment, and mortality. Diagnosis was based primarily on the clinical findings of tissue necrosis and crepitation with minimal or no suppuration. Surgical debridement was the mainstay of treatment and appeared to influence the course of the infection more than other forms of therapy such as hyperbaric oxygen and antibiotics. Repetitive debridement under general anesthesia was found to be most effective in the control of massive necrotizing infection and is emphasized as a plan of therapy that could be more widely applied in the management of patients with gas gangrene.