Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Gangrene
Gangrene is the death of tissues in your body. It happens when a part of your body loses its blood supply. Gangrene can happen on the surface of the body, such as on the skin, or inside the body, in muscles or organs. Causes include:
- Serious injuries
- Problems with blood circulation, such as atherosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease
- Diabetes
Skin symptoms may include a blue or black color, pain, numbness, and sores that produce a foul-smelling discharge. If the gangrene is internal, you may run a fever and feel unwell, and the area may be swollen and painful.
Gangrene is a serious condition. It needs immediate attention. Treatment includes surgery, antibiotics, and oxygen therapy. In severe cases an amputation may be necessary.
It sits within Blood, Heart and Circulation.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Gangrene
46 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Reversing InGuinal Hernia Trial: The Evaluation of Sex Hormones to Reverse Inguinal Hernias in MalesNorthwestern University
- Out-patiente Management for Gangrenous Acute Appendicitis: The PENDI-CSI II Randomized Clinical Trial.Fundación Pública Andaluza para la gestión de la Investigación en Sevilla
- FATAL-NSTI Study (Factors Associated With In-hospital mortALity in NSTI).University of Cagliari
- Necrotizing Soft Tissue InfectionsEuropean Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery
- Evaluation of Impaired Mobility in Chronic Illness Constitution of a CohortUniversity Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand
- Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) for Complicated AppendicitisCedars-Sinai Medical Center
Research already completed
- Anatomical Scale for the Prognosis of Fournier Syndrome.Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
- Construction of a Predictive Model of Gangrenous Cholecystitis Based on Machine LearningDalian Medical University
- The Immunological Differences Between Fournier Gangrene and Perianal AbscessIstanbul Training and Research Hospital
- Best Endovascular vs. Best Surgical Therapy in Patients With Critical Limb IschemiaCarelon Research
- Towards the Use of Instrumented Tests for Screening the Risk of Falling in Patients With Chronic Illness.University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand
- Tension-free Repair of Inguinal Hernia With "Undissociate Spermatic Cord"Harbin Medical University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- About Necrotizing FasciitisCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Antibiotics: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- Diabetes and Foot ProblemsNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- GangreneMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Gas GangreneAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Hyperbaric Oxygen TherapyMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- NecrosisMedical Encyclopedia
- Necrotizing soft tissue infectionMedical Encyclopedia
- Septic shockMedical Encyclopedia
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: GangreneNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Gangrene. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Gangrene, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.