Frostbite (cont.)
Steven Doerr, MD
Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
In this Article
- Frostbite and Cold Weather-Related Injuries Facts
- Introduction to frostbite and cold weather-related injuries
- What type of injuries can be caused by cold weather?
- Cold weather-related injuries without tissue freezing
- Chilblains
- Trench foot
- Frostnip
- Cold weather-related injuries with tissue freezing
- Frostbite
- What does frostbite look like (frostbite pictures)?
- What are the signs and symptoms of frostbite?
- How should frostbite and other cold weather-related injuries be treated?
- What is the recovery time for a frostbite injury?
- When should a person seek medical care for a cold weather-related injury?
- Who is most likely to get a cold weather-related injury and what can be done to prevent it?
What is the recovery time for a frostbite injury?
The recovery time for a frostbite injury depends on the extent of tissue injury and whether or not there are any subsequent complications, such as infection. It may take 1 to 3 months before it is possible to determine the extent of tissue damage, and to clearly delineate which tissue is still viable. Some individuals will require debridement, skin grafting, or amputation of the affected area. Approximately 65% of patients will experience long-term sequelae from frostbite injuries, such as sensitivity to the cold with associated pain or burning, arthritis, increased sweating, and tingling of the affected area. Rarely, death occurs from infection-related complications.
When should a person seek medical care for a cold weather-injury?
- Chilblains can generally be treated at home, though if signs of infection develop from an open sore, individuals should consult a health care practitioner. Patients with recurrent chilblains should also seek medical care, as there may be another underlying disease process leading to this condition.
- Individuals with trench foot should generally consult a health care practitioner to assess the degree of injury and to monitor for any signs of infection or gangrene.
- Frostnip can be managed at home, and this condition does not typically require further evaluation.
- Individuals with frostbite or suspected frostbite should immediately consult a health care practitioner. Furthermore, these individuals may also be suffering from hypothermia, which requires additional treatment and evaluation, and may constitute a life-threatening condition. These are serious cold weather-related injuries that often require admission to the hospital.
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