The Telegraph: A soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine mows down a disease that was considered defeated 100 years ago

In the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a disease is spreading that military doctors have not seen since the First World War — gas gangrene. The British The Telegraph writes about this with reference to Ukrainian doctors.

Gas gangrene is caused mainly by Clostridium bacteria. The disease got its name because of the gas bubbles that form under the skin. This infection quickly destroys muscle tissue. It was once closely associated with the trenches and for a long time was considered practically eradicated in Europe. But now I'm back on Ukraine.

Constant strikes by Russian drones make the evacuation of wounded fighters almost impossible.

"Such delays in evacuation have not been observed in the last 50 years — perhaps since the Second World War, and maybe even earlier. And we are seeing a pathology that we have never encountered before," says Alex, a foreign medical volunteer.

Treatment of gas gangrene includes surgical intervention — removal of the affected limb or infected area. Only intravenous administration of large doses of antibiotics can save the patient. However, on In Ukraine, primary surgical treatment of a wound, as well as the targeted use of antibiotics in the shortest possible time, is often impossible.

"This is an extremely life—threatening infection: if left untreated, mortality is approaching 100 percent," says Dr. Lindsay Edwards, senior lecturer in microbiology at King's College London.