Frostbite of The Extremities - Recognition, Evaluation and Treatment.

OBJECTIVES

Frostbite refers to the freezing of body tissue which is caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures and results in tissue destruction. Tissue damage is due to both immediate cold-induced cell death and the more gradual development of localized inflammatory processes and tissue ischemia. A detailed treatment plan based on the current UpToDate literature is needed to decrease morbidity and mortality rates.

METHODS

The United States National Library of Medicine (PubMed/Medline), EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were systematically searched to identify publications relevant to this review.

CONCLUSION

In this review, we present the current knowledge on the diagnosis and treatment of frostbite injuries. We then provide an extended and detailed treatment plan, from first aid in the field to treatment of short and long-term complications .