Hydrocolloid dressings are moist dressings that contain absorbent ingredients that retain wound exudate, a weeping fluid containing protein and cellular debris. The exudate should be minimal to moderate amounts for hydrocolloids to effectively...
Gangrene is a serious condition in which injury or an underlying health condition causes the blood supply to the tissue to be cut off, causing the tissue to die. The resulting dead tissue can get infected, resulting in wet gangrene. According to...
Gangrene is the death of soft tissue, which occurs when blood supply is cut off to a certain area of the body. In other cases, gangrene can involve a severe bacterial infection. The patient may experience discoloration of the skin, foul-smelling...
Gangrene is the medical term used to describe the death of body tissue. This happens when a body part loses blood supply from an injury, an infection or a disease process, such as peripheral vascular disease. You have a high risk of developing...
Frostbite occurs when exposure to extreme cold causes ice crystals to form in the cells of skin and the underlying tissue. Frostbitten areas turn hard and pale and become numb until re-warming. Mild cases of frostbite affect the skin and the...
Diabetics typically have problems with wound healing. This can be due to a number of factors, including a weakened immune system, poor circulation and nerve damage which allows wounds to go undetected. Patients with diabetes often require special...
MayoClinic.com defines gangrene as the decay of tissues that have lost vitality due to an interruption in their blood supply. Gangrene most commonly affects the limbs, including fingers and toes. Dry gangrene refers to a variety of gangrene where...
Most hernias in the human body occur in the abdominal wall and are a result of weaknesses in the wall musculature. There are a multitude of different types, and ventral hernias occur when abdominal cavity contents (usually intestine) protrude...
Gangrene is the result of severely impaired blood flow to part of the body. In some cases, the affected part of the body must be surgically removed to prevent further medical problems. Amputation is a last-resort treatment for gangrene, but it can...
Even when frostbite injuries heal, the damage persists. Cold weather conditions or direct contact with a freezing material, such as an ice pack or metal, causes frostbite. A person generally suffers from hypothermia, or decreased core body...
Heel ulcers are basically pressure sores. They often result from constant pressure to areas of the body where the bone is near the skin such as the heel. The weight of the bone against the skin can reduce the blood supply along the compression...
Extended periods of sitting or lying in one position often cause a lack of blood flow that triggers pressure ulcers, also called pressure sores or bedsores. Symptoms of pressure ulcers include itchy skin with a red or blue appearance, open sores,...
Radiation is often used to treat brain tumors; the high-energy radiation kills the growing tumor cells. Although radiation is typically highly effective in killing cancer cells in the brain, it may have long-term side effects. These late radiation...
Dry gangrene describes localized tissue death caused by loss of blood supply. The body tissues are kept alive by a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients delivered by the blood, which also carries away tissue waste products. Inadequate blood...
Fever is often a sign of infection somewhere in the body. It is an important immune system function that sometimes serves to kill the invading organism. People with diabetes are prone to several types of infection. It is important for a person...
Cryoablation or cryotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment used to treat solid tumors---both cancerous and non-cancerous---in the lung, liver, breast, kidney, prostate and cervix. The cryoablation procedure involves freezing diseased tissue to...
According to the National Institutes of Health, gangrene is "the death of tissue in part of the body." Sustained loss of blood supply to part of the body may have catastrophic effects as cells, lacking oxygen as well as nutrients and antibodies...
Foot ulcers, the presence of open sores on the feet, can occur due to poor circulation on the lower legs or due to diabetes---a chronic disease characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood. Ulcers can cause pain, swelling of the surrounding...
Necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating bacteria, is caused by Streptococcus pyogenes as well as aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Streptococcus pyogenes produces toxins that destroy the skin and its underlying tissue in addition to...
A carbuncle is a group of infected hair follicles that merge to form a large, painful, infected mass--an abscess. The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus most commonly causes this skin infection. A carbuncle appears as a broad, red, warm, swollen...
Bedsores--sometimes called pressure sores or pressure ulcers--are areas of skin that have been deprived of blood flow as a result of sitting or lying in the same position for an extended period of time. While in their early stages, bedsores may...
Bromelain is a mixture of protein-digesting enzymes derived from the stem and juice of the pineapple. It has long been used in Central and South America to treat a variety of health problems and was first isolated from the plant in the late 1800s....
The majority of periodontal or gum diseases are progressive in that they begin with early inflammation known as reversible gingivitis where bacterial plaque, over a period of time, makes gums red, puffy and tender with occasional bleeding. Black...
DuoDerm dressings have a wide variety of indications in the clinical management of a wide variety of wounds. A DuoDerm dressing is a brand of hydrocolloid dressing that helps to improve healing rate by creating a moist wound-healing environment....
Bed sores, also referred to as pressure ulcers, are an area of localized damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by pressure, shear force, friction, moisture or a combination of these, according to the text "Wound Practice and Research."...
Multiple arteries that are clogged within the leg is termed peripheral arterial disease. In America approximately 8 million Americans suffer from PAD, according the Cleveland Clinic. PAD puts individuals at risk for heart attack, stroke and death....
Olive oil is a common ingredient in natural shampoos and conditioners because of its moisturizing properties. Consequently, some people believe that eating oil may help hair grow. Olive oil has not, however, been proven to grow hair when it is...
Serrapeptase is not found in any foods or fruits. Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme derived from the intestines of silkworms. It is widely available as a supplement and purported to have various health benefits. Supplement manufacturer and...
Diabetic complications such as poor circulation and nerve damage can result in loss of sensation and slower wound healing in the lower extremities, which can lead to the formation of diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetics are encouraged to follow a daily...
When exposed to very cold temperatures, skin and underlying tissues may freeze, resulting in frostbite. The areas most likely to be affected by frostbite are your hands, feet, nose and ears. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and...
