gas gangrene

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a gangrenous infection developing in wounds, especially deep wounds with closed spaces, caused by bacteria that form gases in the subcutaneous tissues.

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gas gangrene British  

noun

1. gangrene resulting from infection of a wound by anaerobic bacteria (esp Clostridium welchii ) that cause gas bubbles and swelling in the surrounding tissues

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Etymology

Origin of gas gangrene

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

“If you have gas, you have gas gangrene and possibly necrotizing fasciitis, which is the flesh-eating bacteria that is life-threatening.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2021

Fatalities from black gas gangrene were greatly reduced by immediate injections of vaccine, a treatment developed by famed U. S. Pathologist William H. Welch.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the process, he discovered that oxygen drenching was good for victims of gas gangrene, which is caused by a bacillus closely related to that of tetanus.

From Time Magazine Archive

Perhaps his most significant contribution was his discovery of a germ which became his namesake, the Bacillus welchii, producer of gas gangrene.

From Time Magazine Archive

They both have symptoms of gas gangrene, and I am afraid one will lose an arm and the other a leg.

From 'My Beloved Poilus' by Warner, Agnes