Danger of frostbite: a warning from the surgeon
According to Nail Bulatovich Gilemkhanov, a surgeon at Mamadysh CDH, since the beginning of the cold weather in December, 3 patients have applied to the surgical department with frostbite.
Frostbite (cold injury) is tissue damage caused by exposure to low temperatures. The protruding parts of the body are primarily affected: the nose, ears, fingers and toes. The first signs are pallor and numbness of the skin, and in severe cases, blisters, swelling appear, and tissue death may begin. Medical professionals identify four stages of this lesion.
Statistics of victims:
1 person with frostbite of the lower extremities.
Frostbite of the hands - 1 person.
The third patient suffered both arms and legs. During the treatment, he had to amputate the first and second toes. After a course of treatment, he was discharged home, but the consequences will remain forever.
The statistics of these cases are alarming: out of three patients, two suffered cold injuries on the street, and one patient, a resident of the city of Mamadysh, fell asleep in a house without central heating.
To date, 2 patients with frostbite are being treated in the surgical department of the Central Hospital. According to the attending surgeon, one of them had made similar complaints before, several years ago. At that time, his lower leg was amputated due to a cold injury.
The surgeon Nail Bulatovich emphasizes that immediately after a cold injury it is difficult to accurately determine its degree. The tissues die off gradually, and the true extent of the lesion does not become visible immediately.
"Therefore, it is critically important to immediately seek professional medical help at the first sign of frostbite in yourself or your loved ones, rather than self–medicate. Only a doctor can assess the severity of an injury and prescribe the right treatment," he notes.