Case Report of Frostbite with Delay in Evacuation: Field Use of Iloprost Might Have Improved the Outcome

Abstract

Frostbite is a common injury in high altitude medicine. Intravenous vasodilators have a proven efficacy and, recently, have been proposed as a safe outpatient treatment. Nevertheless, the lack of availability and consequently delayed application of this treatment option can result in poor clinical outcomes for patients. We present the case of a 60-year-old Chilean man with severe frostbite injuries suffered while climbing Mount Everest. The patient was initially given field treatment to the extent permitted by conditions and consensus guidelines. Unfortunately, advanced management was delayed, with iloprost administered 75 hours after the initial injury. The patient also underwent 5 days of hyperbaric and analgesic/antibiotic therapies. An early bone scan predicted a poor clinical outcome, and five of the patient's fingers, between both hands, were incompletely amputated. We present this case to exemplify the importance of advanced in-field management of frostbite injuries.

Keywords: amputation; bone scan; field treatment; frostbite; iloprost; prostacyclin.