Unusual hand frostbite caused by refrigerant liquids and gases.

BACKGROUND

The refrigerant liquids and gases used widely in industry, farming and medicine for their cooling properties may cause severe frostbite. Despite their widespread use, only a few reports on frostbite of the hand involving these liquids and gases have been published. In this study, the circumstances accompanying these injuries, several adjunctive therapies and preventive measures are discussed.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of hand frostbite injuries was conducted between June 2005 to June 2009 in a burn care center in Istanbul, Turkey. Seventeen patients (13 men, 4 women) were treated for hand frostbite injuries due to contact with refrigerant liquids and gases.

RESULTS

There was a preponderance of male patients (76.5%). Ages ranged from 22 to 52 years (mean age, 30.82 years). Eleven patients were treated conservatively. The hospital stay for treatment of their burns ranged from 16 to 52 days, with a mean stay of 30 days.

CONCLUSION

Frostbite injuries of the hand are uncommon and their etiologies vary. Thus, the low incidence of these injuries and limited experience in handling rare cases of this nature may lead to misjudgments in treatment that can have grave consequences. Decreasing the exposure time is an important first step in the treatment approach. After exposure to gas, quick delivery of the patient to a burn center is essential.