The approach to frostbite in Turkey: A retrospective study

Increased participation in outdoor activities and an epidemic of homelessness have caused the incidence of cold injuries in the civilian population of Turkey to rise dramatically during the past 20 years. Knowledge of treatment is crucial for emergency physicians in rural and urban areas. Recent developments have significantly advanced the understanding of the pathophysiology of hypothermic and frostbite injuries. The authors undertook a retrospective review of frostbite cases in the East Anatolia region of Turkey. The mean altitude of East Anatolia is 1600 m, and temperatures may be -35 degrees C at night and -18 degrees C in the morning in the cities and surrounding villages. Winter is prolonged and harsh, and freezing is a normal condition in this region. The socioeconomic level in this region is lower than other regions of Turkey. During the winter, roads may be closed for as long as five months, and most villages in East Anatolia have no medical units. Erzurum, one of the coldest cities in East Anatolia, is the only city with advanced medical hospitals in this region. Three hospitals in Erzurum were included in the present study: Ataturk University Medical Faculty, Erzurum Numune Hospital and Erzurum SSK Hospital. Frostbite case records and their properties are presented.