Frostbite in the prairies: a 12-year review

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Environmental Health
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Frostbite is a significant cold-related injury.
• Understanding predisposing factors and outcomes is vital for prevention and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review frostbite injuries in a northern prairie population.
• To identify predisposing factors, anatomical distribution, and outcomes, including amputation risk.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 125 inpatient frostbite cases over 12 years.
• Analysis of patient demographics, predisposing factors, injury characteristics, and treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• Common predisposing factors include alcohol (46%), vehicular trauma (19%), and psychiatric illness (17%).
• Lower extremities (47%) and combined upper/lower extremities (31%) were most affected.
• Amputation risk correlated with exposure duration, poor attire, remote injury site, infection, and delayed treatment.

Conclusions:

• Frostbite in this population is associated with substance abuse, trauma, and socioeconomic factors.
• Timely treatment and protective measures are key to preventing severe outcomes like amputation.
• Prophylactic antibiotics did not reduce wound infection rates.