Title: Meleney’s Gangrene: Simple Debridement and Antiseptic Dressings can save a Patient’s Life
Authors: Dr Archit Gupta, Dr Jagdish Gupta, Dr Amritanshu Sharma
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i1.147
Abstract
Meleney’s gangrene is a rare, rapidly spreading destructive subcutaneous tissue infection which most commonly occurs at post-surgical sites and has a mortality rate of as high as 30-40% (up to 90% in diabetics). Diagnosis of meleney’s gangrene is difficult as the initial signs are not specific. If recognised and treated early the prognosis of this disease improves significantly. The major approach for treatment of meleney’s gangrene is aggressive debridement and good antibiotic cover.
We hereby present a case of a female diabetic patient who had come to our centre on account of spreading infection and septic shock, who was aggressively resuscitated and taken up for emergency surgery in the form of aggressive debridement and was then managed with serial debridement and antiseptic dressings. The patient was successfully discharged on post op day 35 and the wound healed completely by post op day 70.
We report this case due to its rarity and its clinical importance and how aggressive debridement and antiseptic dressings are the best cure for this disease even after a century of its discovery.
Keywords: Meleney’s gangrene, Post-operative synergistic gangrene.
