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January 13, 2009
Regions Hospital physician offers tips to prevent and treat frostbite
Regions Hospital had over 420 ice and cold related visits to emergency in 2008
January 13, 2009
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Regions Hospital is offering tips to prevent and treat frostbite in response to today's severe temperatures. The average winter temperature in Minnesota ranges from six to 16 degrees according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. But even when the temperature is above freezing, frostbite can still be dangerous and extreme cases cause gangrene and amputation.
Regions Emergency physicians are available to comment on extreme temperatures and offer these tips:
There are three stages of frostbite. The first is a redness of the skin, along with pain and a stinging sensation. The second is when numbness sets in. The last and most dangerous stage is when the tissue itself begins to freeze. As soon as any frostbite symptom occurs, seek medical attention immediately. If you do develop frostbite, here are some steps you can take:
Slowly warm the affected areas. Get out of the cold, drink something hot, and slowly warm the affected areas with warm, not hot, water. Do not rub the frostbitten skin.
If blisters form, do not break them.In this state, the skin will probably appear gray or white, and the need for medical assistance is immediate.
The sooner the better. The sooner the warming process occurs, the less chance of permanent damage being done. If you see beginning stages of frostbite, get out of the cold as fast as possible.
Regions Hospital physicians say prevention is the best medicine:
Dress in layers. Layers of lighter clothing tend to keep you warmer that one heavy layer. This way you can shed layers as needed. Remember wool is the only fabric that keeps you warm when its wet.
Cover your head and hands. A large amount of body heat is lost through the head and hands. Wearing a warm hat and gloves will help prevent this heat loss, and your body will stay warmer.
Eat something healthy and stay active. Digesting food and keeping your body in motion will create internal body heat. Keep moving, but not so much that you become overly tired. Fatigue reduces the body's ability to generate heat.
Regions Hospital
HealthPartners family of care includes Regions Hospital (www.regionshospital.com ), a full service hospital certified as a Level I Trauma Center serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin for more than 130 years. Founded in 1957, the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of health care companies serve more than one million medical and dental health plan members nationwide and is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community.
Contact: 952-883-5305
Pager: 612-629-0411
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