Deep Frostbite Treated With Hyperbaric Oxygen and Thrombolytic Therapies

The authors present a case of deep frostbite treated with both hyperbaric oxygen and thrombolytic therapies. Both of these therapies are experimental and have not yet achieved widespread clinical use. The patient described in this paper sustained frostbite after becoming intoxicated and falling unconscious in a snowy field. He was treated acutely for hypothermia and came into the authors' care for wound management. Of his 6 digits with extensive, deep frostbite, 1 digit eventually required partial amputation, and another had protracted osteomyelitis treated with intravenous antibiotics. The authors present a case history in the context of current research and provide a listing of previous case reports of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for frostbite.