Comprehensive Treatment of Single Finger Frostbite : A Case Study.

Third-and fourth-degree frostbite usually result in loss of skin and tissue requiring amputation, then skin scar form. The 3-6 week waiting period often necessary to determine the severity of the lesion. This period is also a critical time for the rescue of frostbitten tissue. This was a 30-year-old man who developed frostbite of his right index finger. He presented to our hospital 4 hours after injury with loss of sensation on the whole index finger and early signs of necrosis. The patient received a series of comprehensive treatments, including fasciotomy, injection of papaverine hydrochloride, baking lamp irradiation, negative pressure treatment, and so on. At the time of discharge, he had re-epithelialization of the index finger by 21 days after injury. Through the study of this case, it can be determined that the comprehensive treatments combined with negative pressure wound treatment has certain clinical application value for the rescue of deep frostbite tissues.