Sammanfattning
BACKGROUND: Little research is available on the prevalence of frostbite, either in civilian life or the military service. The prognosis and progression of such injuries have previously not been studied in large cohorts.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: The participants were persons registered with cold injuries and frostbite in the Armed Forces Health Registry in the period 1 January 2010–31 December 2014. Data on diagnostics, outcome and treatment were retrieved for a total of 460 persons with the aid of a questionnaire. The response rate in the survey was 66 per cent.
RESULTS: 397 out of 460 persons (86.3 %) who had been registered with frostbite in the Armed Forces Health Registry confirmed to have sustained such an injury. 123 of the 397 respondents (30.1 %) reported to have had blisters, which would might indicate that they had sustained second-degree frostbite. 225 of the 397 respondents (56.7 %) reported to have sustained frostbite, but without blisters. Most of them had sustained their frostbite during field/winter exercises (81.1 %), and two-thirds of those who had sustained injuries were conscripts. The vast majority had injuries on their fingers/hands or on their toes/feet (96.0 %). Two out of three (69.8 %) still suffered from symptoms caused by their frostbite more than two years after the time of injury.
INTERPRETATION: Many personnel sustain frostbite while serving in the military. One-fifth reported to suffer from chronic health ailments that had an impact on their ability to work. Knowledge about the prevalence of frostbite among military personnel is crucial for efforts to prevent injuries in the Armed Forces.