Successful conservative treatment of severe frostbite lesions in a Greenlandic Inuit

• Published in: BMJ Case Reports
• Main Authors: Ekdahl, Martin, Penninga, Luit
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMJ 2017
• Subjects: Arctic; Greenland; greenlandic; inuit
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2017-219672; https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1136/bcr-2017-219672

Frostbite may cause lesions. The severity ranges from superficial wounds to severe cases with loss of limbs and tissue. Hence, proper treatment is of utmost importance. We present a case of an 18-year-old man from Arctic Greenland who was admitted with severe frostbite lesions involving both hands. The patient had fallen asleep outside during extreme temperatures. He was treated conservatively with proper wound care, antibiotics and intensive physical therapy. The patient made a full recovery without sequelae. The current report emphasises that non-operative treatment should be attempted for frostbite lesions, as conservative treatment often results in good outcomes.