W
hile conducting a week-long field training exercise in Kodiak, Alaska, one member of our team suffered frostbite on all toes of both feet to the mid-foot. During the training, the member said he noticed numbness in his toes, but didn’t want to say anything because he thought everyone’s feet were cold. Frostbite is a serious medical condition requiring urgent treatment at a medical facility. Extremities, fingers and toes, and exposed areas such as ears and face, are most commonly affected. In an austere or remote environment, frostbite is extremely difficult to treat because the conditions that led to frostbite probably still exist – even after rewarming. At the end of the training after returning to base, the member removed his boots. Seeing his toes were completely white with no signs of circulation, he began to rewarm his toes in the shower with warm water while massaging his feet.
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Ground Warrior Magazine
Rewarming should be done in a safe environment when there is no risk of refreezing the area. As the area is rewarmed, blood begins to flow again, and swelling will start soon after. If the patient’s feet are affected, as difficult as it may be, the patient might need to walk out or at least to a point they can be reached by medevac before rewarming can begin. Alternatively, they may lose all ability to walk and will need to be carried out if in a remote area. While the area is frozen, it is more durable than after thawing it. For this reason, you should not try to rewarm until you know you can keep the area warm. As the tissue thaws, blood begins to flow again, and an inflammation response starts. The affected area swells rapidly. If the feet are affected, this could prevent the patient from walking or getting their shoes back on. Swelling increases pressure in the tissue and prevents blood from flowing normally, which can cause compartment syndrome, a medical issue where muscle tissue dies because it is under too much pressure to maintain profusion and becomes gangrenous.
