A TUNISIAN man has died after his penis rotted away when a routine procedure went horribly wrong.
The 64-year-old went to hospital to have a catheter inserted to help him pee after a stroke left him with limited bladder control.
Ten days later, the man returned to the hospital with fever, pain and brownish-black discoloration of his penis.
Doctors found that the end of the patient’s penis was “engorged” and “gangrenous,” meaning it was rotting off.
His blood contained high levels of white blood cells – a sign his body was trying to fight off an infection – so was given antibiotics.
Later tests revealed that he was infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae, a type of bacteria that can sometimes infect patients in health care settings.
Doctors tried to save the man’s life by removing his infected penis, but tragically he died of sepsis.
Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection.
It happens when your immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs.
His shocking case was first reported in the Journal of Medical Case Reports.
What are the symptoms of sepsis?
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that happens when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive while trying to fight off an infection
Early signs include fast breathing or a fast heartbeat, high or low temperature, chills and shivering.
And sufferers can sometimes develop a fever – though not in all cases.
Severe symptoms can develop very quickly, and include:
- blood pressure plummeting
- dizziness
- disorientation
- slurred speech
- mottled skin
- nausea and vomiting
Source: NHS
Writing in the report, the medics said: “Although source control was achieved with aggressive debridement” — meaning tissue removal — “careful wound care, and wide-spectrum antibiotherapy, the patient died due to septic shock.”
“The time between diagnosis and treatment greatly affects morbidity and mortality, and it can quickly progress to sepsis. This is why it remains a life-threatening disease,” they added.
What is gangrene?
Gangrene is a serious condition where a loss of blood supply causes body tissue to die.
It can affect any part of the body but typically starts in the toes, feet, fingers and hands, according to the NHS.
Gangrene can occur as a result of an injury, infection or a long-term condition that affects blood circulation.
Symptoms include redness or swelling in the affected area, loss of sensation or pain in the area and sore blisters that bleed or produce foul smelling pus.
If you think you have gangrene you should see your GP immediately.
