Treatment of frostbites of the upper extremities with prolonged blockade of axillary plexus.

Encouraged by the beneficial effect in the treatment of cold injury of the lower extremities, the authors applied permanent plexus anesthesia for treatment of the cold injury of the upper extremities too. Of the total of 10 in-patients treated with this method, amputation had to be made only in 2 cases due to the lack of compliance of the patients retarding the commencement of therapy. 7 patients with the same severity of cold injury admitted from other hospitals where they had been treated with traditional methods have undergone multiple phalangectomies. The method had beneficial effect only when applied within the first 8 h after trauma.