Home / Environment / Health Green Living Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
30 Gas Gangrene cases confirmed in Chengdu
Adjust font size:

Thirty patients in Sichuan University's Huaxi Hospital have been infected with gas gangrene, according to sources at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDCP). An isolation ward has been set up to prevent the disease spreading. All patients injured in the quake arriving at Huaxi Hospital will be sent to the isolation ward for diagnosis on arrival.

Five patients diagnosed with gas gangrene disease on May 14 are in a stable condition, according to Shi Yingkang, the dean of Huaxi Hospital.

Gas gangrene is a bacterial infection that produces gas within gangrenous tissue. People with open fractures are particularly susceptible. It is caused by the clostridium bacteria and if left untreated is usually fatal within 12 hours. Isolation of patients and effective disinfection can prevent cross infection. It takes about five minutes to diagnose the disease by testing wound secretions.

There have been no cases of cross infection in Huaxi Hospital so far. But rescuers in the quake-hit region have been warned not to make direct contact with survivors' skin, and to follow effective disinfection procedures.

Experts from CCDCP say isolation wards should be set up in all hospitals receiving patients from quake-hit area. All injured persons transferred from the quake area should be first sent to isolation wards to be checked for gas gangrene. If gas gangrene is suspected, treatment must begin immediately. Thoroughly cleaning wounds, removing foreign objects and dead tissue is the best way to prevent clostridia infection.

(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan May 19, 2008)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous

China Archives
Related >>
- Feng Zijian on possible post-disaster health emergencies
- No plague outbreak in Myanmar cyclone-hit areas
- Epidemic prevention in full swing in Dujiangyan
- Govt on alert for major epidemics
Most Viewed >>
- Quake damage to the Wolong Nature Reserve
- Six pandas transferred from Wolong center
- Giant pandas airlifted from quake-hit Sichuan to Beijing
- Giant Panda destined for Taiwan found after 5 days
- China starts biggest ocean expedition
Air Quality 
Cities Major Pollutant Air Quality Level
Beijing particulate matter III2
Shanghai particulate matter II
Guangzhou sulfur dioxide II
Chongqing particulate matter II
Xi'an particulate matter II
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
- Prof. Maria E. Fernandez to Give a Lecture on Climate Change
More
Archives
UN meets on climate change
The UN Climate Change Conference brought together representatives of over 180 countries and observers from various organizations.
Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base