Case Report of Frostbite with Delay in Evacuation: Field Use of Iloprost Might Have Improved the Outcome.

Frostbite is a common injury in high altitude medicine. Intravenous vasodilators have a proven efficacy and, recently, have been proposed as a safe outpatient treatment. Nevertheless, the lack of availability and consequently delayed application of this treatment option can result in poor clinical outcomes for patients. We present the case of a 60-year-old Chilean man with severe frostbite injuries suffered while climbing Mount Everest. The patient was initially given field treatment to the extent permitted by conditions and consensus guidelines. Unfortunately, advanced management was delayed, with iloprost administered 75 hours after the initial injury. The patient also underwent 5 days of hyperbaric and analgesic/antibiotic therapies. An early bone scan predicted a poor clinical outcome, and five of the patient's fingers, between both hands, were incompletely amputated. We present this case to exemplify the importance of advanced in-field management of frostbite injuries.

Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Foot Due To Frostbite: Literature Review and Case Report.

Acute compartment syndrome of the foot and ankle is a relatively rare clinical finding. Lower extremity compartment syndrome is customarily due to vascular or orthopedic traumatic limb-threatening pathologic issues. Clinical correlation and measurement of intracompartmental pressure are paramount to efficient diagnosis and treatment. Delayed treatment can lead to local and systemically adverse consequences. Frostbite, a comparatively more common pathologic entity of the distal extremities, occurs when tissues are exposed to freezing temperatures. Previously found in military populations, frostbite has become increasingly prevalent in the general population, leading to more clinical presentations to foot and ankle specialists. We present a review of the published data of acute foot compartment syndrome and pedal frostbite, with pathogenesis, treatment, and subsequent sequelae. A case report illustrating 1 example of bilateral foot, atraumatic compartment syndrome, is highlighted in the present report. The patient presented with changes consistent with distal bilateral forefoot frostbite, along with gangrenous changes to the distal tuft of each hallux. At admission and evaluation, the patient had increasing rhabdomyolysis with no other clear etiology. Compartment pressures were measured in the emergency room and were >100 mm Hg in the medial compartment and 50 mm Hg dorsally. The patient was taken to the operating room urgently for bilateral pedal compartment release. Both pathologic entities have detrimental outcomes if not treated in a timely and appropriate manner, with amputation rates increasing with increasing delay.

Iatrogenic Full-Thickness Frostbite Injury Caused by the Use of a Conductive Cooling Device.

Reports of iatrogenic cold thermal injuries are rare in the literature. Conductive cooling devices, typically employed for their neuroprotective effects, use conductive hydrogel pads to achieve rapid and precise temperature control approaching the level of water immersion. Despite a number of built-in safeguards, prolonged or improper use of these devices can lead to significant thermal injury. To the best of their knowledge, the authors describe the first report of a significant iatrogenic full-thickness injury caused by the use of a surface cooling system in a patient who had recently suffered a cerebrovascular accident. The patient required transfer to the authors' tertiary burn care facility for excisional debridement and coverage with extensive split-thickness skin grafting to the chest, flank, and thighs. The grafts achieved nearly complete take and the patient was ultimately discharged to a rehabilitation facility with improving neurological condition.

Frostbite in an adolescent football player: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: To present the case of vascular compromise of a finger from a confluent circumferential blister due to an inappropriately applied commercial cold pack in a high school athlete and to describe the mechanism of iatrogenic injury, acute surgical management, rehabilitation, and pathophysiology of frostbite and constriction injuries. BACKGROUND: A 17-year-old male football player presented with a frostbite and constriction injury to the index finger secondary to prolonged use of a cooling pack after a mild traumatic injury to the digit. He developed a prolonged sensory deficit from thermal injury, as well as acute vascular compromise requiring urgent operative intervention. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: Frostbite and constriction injury to the index finger. TREATMENT: Emergency surgical decompression and occupational therapy. UNIQUENESS: Frostbite injuries can occur iatrogenically because of inappropriate use of cooling devices or gel packs. Fingers are commonly injured extremities that are particularly susceptible to frostbite and compression injuries. To our knowledge, no case of vascular compromise from the blister constriction of digits has been reported. CONCLUSIONS: Patients and their caregivers must be educated about how to properly use cooling devices. Clinicians need to fully evaluate patients with iatrogenic frostbite injuries, giving particular attention to neurovascular status, and must recognize the need for surgical release of constriction syndrome to prevent substantial morbidity.

Manejo conservador de las lesiones por frío / Conservative management of frost injuries

Desde 1979 a 1993, se han atendido 14 pacientes con congelamiento en las extremidades superiores e inferiores. Los 14 pacientes fueron de sexo masculino, con edades entre 19 y 28 años. Estos 14 pacientesaoprtaron un total de 78 dedos afectados, 50 dedos de los miembros superiores y 28 en los pies. Clínicamente la mayoría fueron congelamiento de 2º. El tratamiento médico comprendió reposo, uso de antiinflamatorios, antiagregantes plaquetarios y vasodilatadores en forma tardía. Las amputaciones de necesidad se efectuaron a los 24 días en los más precoces y a los 60 días en los más tardíos. En su mayoría fueron amputaciones parciales y en 2 casos se amputaron ortejos en forma total. Se realizaron algunos injertos demoepidérmicos y plastía de pulpejos