Cold weather injuries Flashcards
What are the five types of cold weather injuries?
Hypothermia Freezing Peripheral Injuries Non-Freezing Peripheral Injuries Frostbite Immersion / Trench Foot
Definition:
Reduction of body temperature to below 95°F. It can result from either dry-land whole body
exposure or immersion in cold water. Freezing temperatures are not required to produce this.
Hypothermia
Definition:
Freezing injuries (e.g. frostbite) only occur due to exposure to temperatures
below freezing. They result from the freezing of tissue fluids in the skin and/or subcutaneous tissues.
Freezing Peripheral Injuries:
Definition:
Localized non-freezing injuries, usually of extremities (e.g., trench foot,
immersion foot) occur due to prolonged vasoconstriction in response to cold that leads to tissue injury and
destruction. These injuries develop over a period of hours to days. They may occur at temperatures below or
above freezing and can occur at temperatures as high as 60°F with prolonged exposure. Injury is accelerated
by exposure to damp conditions. (Note: The term “trench foot” is also sometimes used to describe a tropical
foot injury or “jungle rot.”)
Non-Freezing Peripheral Injuries
Definition:
A localized freezing injury that typically occurs in a relatively rapid fashion and occurred due to
exposure to temperatures below freezing. Although is has often been classified as 1-4th degree injury, final
classification often takes weeks and is not helpful for immediate treatment. More recently it has been classified
as superficial and deep. Do not delay reporting to determine classification.
Frostbite
Labs:
None, diagnosed clinically
What do you document?
if injury was duty related. The type(s) of injury(s), core body temperature and method measured (for hypothermia), classification of frostbite, anatomic location of injury(s) and environmental and other circumstances that contributed to occurrence.
