What is Gangrene?

So gangrene means tissue which is no longer alive and this could be in the context of an ulcer or it could be a toe which has become discoloured and is no longer alive. Gangrene takes two different forms, it can be dry in which case there's a stable situation where an area such as the tip of the toe for example or a toe is no longer alive but it's not infected. When gangrene is wet that means there's dead tissue and also infection and this can be a significant problem for someone who's got diabetes. The reason for this is patients with diabetes their ability to fight infection is perhaps less than other patients and if you have infection in your foot this can spread very rapidly if the immune system cannot keep it under check and this should be managed as if it were an emergency.