GAS GANGRENE FOLLOWING AN OPEN TIBIAL FRACTURE - A CASE REPORT

Gas gangrene is an invasive anaerobic infection, usually found in deep wounds with injury to large muscle masses that are contaminated with germs from the group of anaerobic clostridia. It is characterized by massive, acute progressive muscle necrosis and severe intoxication of the organism. The importance of gas gangrene is in its rapid evolution and high mortality. Untreated gas gangrene is fatal. This paper presents a patient in whom, after an open fracture of the femur and tibia, gas gangrene of the lower leg developed. Injury occurred during processing of agricultural land with a tiller, when cutter blades cut the bones of the leg and contaminated the wound with the soil in which clostridium microorganisms were present. After being admitted to hospital, due to lesions of the femoral vessels, hemostasis was performed, followed by the primary surgical treatment of the wound and external skeletal fixation. In the postoperative period, in the first 48 hours, there was a development of gas gangrene in the right calf with a bad general condition. For vital reasons, the patient underwent femoral amputation. Early amputation stump, after meticulous hemostasis was left open and was closed with the delayed secondary suture. After healing of the amputation stump, the patient was referred to physical therapy for prosthesis and gait training.