Frozen chips: an unusual cause of severe frostbite 2000; 34: 382-4
Reaching for that bag of frozen vegetables to ease bruising and inflammation could end up giving you frostbite, if left on for longer than 30 minutes. A case study reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that this type of home remedy should be applied with caution.
The authors describe a young physical education teacher who used a bag of frozen chips, wrapped in a towel, to ease pain in her right foot. She left the vegetable ice pack on for at least 40 minutes. Although the pain disappeared, the next day her foot had become discoloured and painful, and she had lost the feeling in some of her toes. She was diagnosed as suffering from frostbite for which she required surgery. She sustained permanent nerve damage to her two of her toes.
The authors explain that exposure to extreme cold anaesthetises the skin, so making it harder to be aware of any deeper damage that may be occurring at the time. In this case the ice pack froze the tissue deep beneath the skin and stopped blood flow. They do not suggest that this home remedy should not be used, just that it should be used only for short periods.
The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine recommends that the maximum safe period of ice pack application should be no longer than 30 minutes. It suggests that ice or frozen vegetables should be wrapped in a damp towel, and that in areas with little fat or muscle beneath the skin, the maximum cooling period should be only 10 minutes.
Contact:
Mr Colin Graham, Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow/ Mr James Stephenson, A&E Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock, Scotland. ColinGraham@bigfoot.com
Journal
British Journal of Sports Medicine