Management of Cold Injuries

Abstract: Cold injuries are very common among the troops deployed in high altitude regions. Now days, it is also seen among the civilian populations like mountaineers and winter sportspersons. There is no definitive treatment protocol available for this entity. In this study, 234 patients of various degrees of cold injuries were treated with a standard protocol of multidrug therapy with a view to combat the effects of cold injury at various steps of pathogenesis. Deep frost bite cases were subjected to Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy (HBOT). An encouraging result was found in our study with this protocol. There was less morbidity. Healing time, hospital stay and loss of digits were less. Multidrug therapy with Pentoxyphylline, Ibuprofen and soluble aspirin was a better treatment modality than single drug used in the treatment of cold injuries. HBOT was found to reduce morbidity to a great extent along with saving a number of digits from amputation.