What should you know about gangrenous cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of deeper skin layers and nearby tissue. When severe infection damages tissue, the skin may become dusky, purple, grey, or black, with blisters, drainage, or an unpleasant smell. Pain, swelling, warmth, and redness may extend beyond the original area. Severe pain or numbness can signal deeper injury.

A break in the skin, an ulcer, athlete's foot, surgery, or reduced immune defence can provide an entry point. Type 2 diabetes can make wounds and infections harder to manage. This condition can lead to sepsis, a body-wide response that threatens organ function.

Call emergency services or go to an emergency department immediately if gangrenous cellulitis is suspected. Do not wait for a routine appointment, massage the area, drain blisters, or rely on leftover antibiotics. Keep the area clean and loosely covered, avoid putting weight on a painful limb, and bring a list of medicines and medical conditions.

Hospital care may include intravenous antibiotics, fluids, imaging, wound care, and urgent removal of dead or infected tissue. The team may also look for an entry site such as a foot wound.

Get emergency help for rapidly spreading redness or swelling, severe or escalating skin pain, black or grey skin, blisters, pus, fever, confusion, faintness, fast breathing, or unusual drowsiness. These warning signs need action even if the skin changes began after a small cut.

How deep is the infection? Do I need urgent surgery or imaging? Could there be sepsis, diabetes-related wound problems, or an entry point between the toes? What wound care and follow-up will I need after discharge?