Abstract:
A 36-year-old male was admitted because of swelling and pain in the lower left limb. He had been diagnosed as having non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus 4 years previously and had been treated unsuccessfully with insulin. Since gas formation was radiographically demonstrated in the soft tissue of the left foot, we treated him with antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen under the diagnosis of gas gangrene. Despite this therapy, the gangrenous lesions progressed. Amputation of the left foot was necessary. Peptstreptococcus was isolated from the gangrenous area and identified as such on the seven hospital day. Nine cases of diabetic patients with non-clostridial gas gangrene who were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy have been reported in Japan. The results indicated that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is ineffective in the treatment of non-clostridial gas gangrene in diabetic patients.
Owada, Kanamori, Hirai, Yajima, , , , , (1994). [A case of NIDDM with non-clostridial gas-producing infection in the lower limb–the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy]. Kansenshogaku zasshi. The Journal of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, 1994 Feb;68(2):263-7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8151155