Question

The doctor diagnoses Sean with "diabetic foot syndrome" and informs him that his lesion is infected with an obligately anaerobic bacterium called Clostridium perfringens. Many patients with this syndrome end up requiring amputation. Luckily, Sean's case is diagnosed early enough to avoid having his foot removed, but it is still difficult to treat. As an insulin-dependent diabetic who has not managed his disease well, Sean has developed nerve damage and reduced blood flow to his foot. Reduced blood flow makes the infection difficult to treat by restricting the ability of antibiotics to reach the infection site, as well as reducing the oxygen content in his tissues, slowing the healing process. The dead and damaged tissue in the lesion further reduces the effectiveness of antimicrobials.

In addition to regular debridement and antibiotics, the doctor recommends hyperbaric treatment. This treatment requires Sean to lie in an enclosed chamber in which oxygen is administered at high pressure to saturate the infected tissues. The treatment is very effective with C. perfringens because the anaerobic bacteria cannot tolerate oxygen.

Why might hyperbaric treatment be effective for Sean's diabetic foot lesion?

A. Hyperbaric treatment increases blood flow through tissues in the foot, thereby inhibiting Clostridium perfringens .

B. Hyperbaric treatment penetrates the dead tissue, thereby destroying Clostridium perfringens endospores.

C. Hyperbaric treatment drives the antibiotic treatment into the tissue through increased pressure.

D. Hyperbaric treatment administers oxygen, which is toxic to strict anaerobes such as Clostridium perfringens.

Answer 1

Hyperbaric treatment was very effective for Sean's diabetic foot lesion because Hyperbaric treatment administers oxygen, which is toxic to strict anaerobes such as Clostridium perfringens.

Answer - D. Hyperbaric treatment administers oxygen, which is toxic to strict anaerobes such as Clostridium perfringens.

Explanation - Anaerobic bacteria are the bacteria that grow without the presence of oxygen, Oxygen can be toxic for them. In some anaerobic bacteria, oxygen can stop the growth or even can kill those bacteria.

This was the main concept to kill  C. perfringens in Hyperbaric treatment.