Contents
7.1. Introduction.
7.2. Injuries Caused by Exposure to Low Temperatures, Types and Classification.
7.3. Clinical Manifestations of Overcooling.
7.4. Clinical Manifestations of Frostbites.
7.5. First Aid for Overcooling and Frostbite.
7.1. INTRODUCTION
Exposure to low temperatures also makes contribution to the structure of all the injuries received both in peace and war time. The highest numbers of the victims are registered during the cold seasons, though overcooling and frostbites can either take place at the temperature higher than 0 °С. Strong winds and high humidity work towards faster affection. General condition of the humane organism also adds to the susceptibility to low temperature impact: defatigation, exhaustion, illnesses, blood loss, drunkenness etc. Frequency of damage gets increased in emergencies including natural disasters or technological catastrophes (explosions, collapses, traffic accidents etc.). Delayed first aid rather often leads to the victim's death as a result of depression of the organs' functioning, necrosis of the tissues, gangrene, severe intoxication and consecutive infection.
7.2. INJURIES CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO LOW TEMPERATURES, TYPES AND CLASSIFICATION
The injuries resulting from exposure to low temperature commonly include two basic types of affections - general and local.
General affection on the organism - overcooling - is a type of cooling injury, caused by freezing of entire organism when the body temperature falls
below 35 °С. Cold impact primarily leads to irregular blood circulation in the skin and further on affects the underlying tissues.
Local injuries caused by low temperatures are specified as frostbites. As a rule the most suffering parts of the body are limbs and protuberant parts (like nose, ears). Frostbites can appear both after a contact with some cold subject (contact frostbite) and cold air impact.