Frostbite

• Published in: The American journal of medicine Vol. 121; no. 9; pp. 765 - 766
• Main Authors: Patel, Nilesh N., MD, Patel, Devesh N., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-09-2008; Elsevier; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Atrial Fibrillation - complications; Biological and medical sciences; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diagnosis, Differential; Foot; Freezing; Frostbite; Frostbite - diagnosis; Frostbite - therapy; General aspects; Humans; Hypertension - complications; Hypothermia; Injuries of the skin. Diseases of the skin due to physical agents; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Skin; Tissues; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Medicine; Skin disease; Frostbite; Cold induced disorder; Trauma
• ISSN: 0002-9343; 1555-7162
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2008.03.040

Patel and Patel discuss frosbite, an acute freezing of tissues as a result of exposure to temperatures below the freezing point of intact skin. Frostbite is caused by local cold-induced crystallization of tissue water into ice, leading to free radical formation and tissue damage especially in acral body parts, including the face. It usually occurs at a temperature of 0 degrees C or below. Clinical features of frostbite and associated hypothermia involve a thermoregulatory response (eg, shivering and increased sympathetic activity), cellular and tissue effects (eg, membrane damage, electrolyte imbalance, endothelial injury, and thrombosis), and systemic effects (eg, shock, arrhythmia, and neuromuscular dysfunction).