Frostbite : A serious case

                                  - Emmanuel B.  Ammara H.  Malori B. Monica A.

       

 

    You are probably wondering what “frostbite” is. Well, Frostbite is an injury to any part of the body, although it is most common on parts of your body that are exposed to the cold air or wind. Below shows information about frostbite.

 Types of frost bites

    There are 3 levels of frostbite. These 3 types are frostnip, superficial frostbite, and severe frostbite. Frostnip makes your skin warm, and the body part that is affected might tingle or hurt, and if it’s not taken care of, could lead to numbness. Superficial frostbite makes your skin pale, and it will burn. If it is treated at this stage, damage to your skin will be minimal, with just a few blisters. Severe frostbite affects all layers of your skin, and it will be completely numb, and you will not feel pain or coldness. At this stage, your muscles and joints might be affected too. After the body part is warmed up, your skin will be black, because the tissue has died. In very serious cases of frostbite, you might need amputation. Usually frostbite occurs in about 5 minutes in temperatures between 0 and -19 degrees Fahrenheit. Over 20 people a day die from frostbite.

  

Ways to aid frostbite

    

1. Rewarming of the skin. If it hasn't been done already, your doctor will rewarm the area using a warm-water bath for 15 to 30 minutes. The skin may turn soft and look red or purple. You may be encouraged to gently move the affected area as it rewarms.

2 .Oral pain medicine. Because the rewarming process can be painful, your doctor will likely give you a drug to ease the pain.

3. Protecting the injury. Once your skin thaws, your doctor may loosely wrap the area with sterile sheets, towels or dressings to protect the skin. You may protect your fingers or toes as they thaw by gently separating them from each other. And you may need to elevate the affected area to reduce swelling.

4. Removal of damaged tissue (debridement). To heal properly, frostbitten skin needs to be free of damaged, dead or infected tissue. To better distinguish between healthy and dead tissue, your doctor may wait one to three months before removing damaged tissue.

5. Whirlpool therapy or physical therapy. Soaking in a whirlpool bath (hydrotherapy) can aid healing by keeping skin clean and naturally removing dead tissue. You may be encouraged to gently move the affected area.

6. Infection-fighting drugs. If your skin or blisters appear infected, your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics.

7.Colt-busting drugs. You may receive an intravenous injection (IV) of a drug that helps restore blood flow (thrombolytic), such as tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). Studies of people with severe frostbite show that TPA lowers the risk of amputation. But these drugs can cause serious bleeding and are typically used only in the most serious situations and within 24 hours of exposure.

8. Wound care. A variety of wound care techniques may be used, depending on the extent of injury.

9. Surgery. People who have experienced severe frostbite may in time need surgery or amputation to remove dead skins.

10. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy includes breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room.

credits must go to: Malori B., Ammara H., Emmanuel B., and Monica B.