Frostbite treated with hyperbaric oxygen.

This is a case report of a 39-year-old man who participated in a cross-country skiing race in Alaska. A few minutes with a glove-free hand resulted in frostbites. Medical assistance arrived 24 hours later and enoxaparine was administered. After seven days, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) was initiated in Denmark. After 90 days the distal part of the second finger was removed due to mummification. Compared with the original extent of the injury the amputated part was significantly smaller. HBOT as treatment has not yet been described in Danish patients and is only used on an experimental basis worldwide.

Frostbite: Current status and advancements in therapeutics.

Frostbite is a severe ischemic injury which occurs due to the tissue vascular damage after sub-zero temperature tissue exposure. Deep frostbite can result in necrosis and may need amputation of affected tissue. Though a serious injury, it is not very well understood, and further scientific exploration is needed. This work explores the current understanding of the pathophysiology of frostbite. We reviewed the current status of the diagnostics, the drugs, the therapies and the surgical practices for prevention and management of frostbite. Advances in nanotechnology and drug delivery had improved the therapeutic outcomes significantly. This review also explored the latest advancements and researches done for development of newer therapeutics and diagnostics for frostbite care.

The Effect of a 300 mBar Increase in Barometric Pressure on Digital Microcirculation in Healthy Subjects Exposed to High Altitude: Is the Use of a Portable Hyperbaric Chamber to Treat Frostbite and/or Hypothermia in the Field Indicated? (Flow_Pulse Study).

INTRODUCTION: Hypothermia and frostbite occur when there is a significant decrease in central and peripheral body temperature in individuals exposed to cold windy conditions, often at high altitude or in a mountain environment. Portable hyperbaric chambers increase the barometric pressure and thereby the partial pressure of oxygen inside the chamber, and their use is a well-known treatment for altitude illness. This study aims to show that a portable hyperbaric chamber could also be used to treat hypothermia and frostbite in the field, when rescue or descent is impossible or delayed. METHODS: During a European research program (SOS-MAM, Flow Pulse study) measurements were taken from 27 healthy nonacclimatized voluntary subjects (21 men, 6 women, mean age 41 ± 17) at an altitude of 3800 m (Chamonix Mountain Lab, Aiguille du Midi, France) right before and immediately after spending 1 hour in a portable hyperbaric chamber at 300 mbar. We measured digital cutaneous temperature (Tcut), digital cutaneous blood flow (Fcut), digital tissue oxygenation (TcPO2), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate, and core temperature. Air temperature inside the chamber (Tchamb) was measured throughout the whole session. RESULTS: We observed significant increases in Tchamb: 9.3°C compared with the outside temperature, Tcut: +7.5°C (±6.2°C 71%), Fcut: +58PU (±89) (+379%), TcPO2: +18 mmHg (±11.9) (304%), and SpO2: 13%. CONCLUSION: This study shows that a portable hyperbaric chamber can be used to treat frostbite and/or hypothermia in the field at altitude when descent or rescue is impossible or even simply delayed.

Emollients in the prevention of frostbite.

47% of Finnish conscripts had had at least one frostbite of the head (42% on the ears, 23% on the face) at the age of 19. Non-medicated ointments are traditionally used in Finland for protection against facial frostbite without scientific evidence of their benefit. In studies on cold protecting emollients it was found that 21% of the male conscripts in Finland had used them in the cold. 84% of the users had experienced their effect as somewhat or clearly protective. However, in a controlled prospective epidemiological study of 913 cold injuries of the head, the use of cold protective ointments was associated with an increased risk of frostbite to the head (odds ratio 4.5 for ear frostbite, 5.6 for nasal frostbite and 3.3 for frostbite on other parts of the face). The thermal insulation provided by different emollients in the cold was minimal in in vitro experiments using a skin model. In in vivo studies with test subjects the skin on the applied half of the face cooled at least as quickly as the untreated half. However, when white petrolatum was applied, the subjective skin perception of a test persons was warming in the majority of the tests, in contrast to objective measurements. "Protecting" emollients seem to cause a false sensation of safety leading to an increased risk of frostbite probably mainly through neglect of efficient protective measures.

Frostbite: pathogenesis and treatment.

Frostbite, once almost exclusively a military problem, is becoming more prevalent among the general population and should now be considered to be within the scope of the civilian physician's practice. Studies into the epidemiology of civilian frostbite have identified several risk factors that may aid the clinician in the diagnosis and management of cold injuries. Research into the pathophysiology has revealed marked similarities in inflammatory processes to those seen in thermal burns and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Evidence of the role of thromboxanes and prostaglandins has resulted in more active approaches to the medical treatment of frostbite wounds. Although the surgical management of frostbite involves delayed debridement 1 to 3 months after demarcation, recent improvements in radiologic assessment of tissue viability have led to the possibility of earlier surgical intervention. In addition, several adjunctive therapies, including vasodilators, thrombolysis, hyperbaric oxygen, and sympathectomy, are discussed.