Severe frostbite injury in a 19-year-old patient requiring amputation of both distal forearms and lower legs due to delayed rescue: a need for advanced accident collision notification systems?

Managing frostbite in a South African patient

This report focuses on a 23-year-old man of African-Caribbean origin who presented to a Burns unit with soft-tissue loss following a road traffic collision (RTC) in an extremely cold weather. Having been involved in the RTC, he walked from the scene to the hospital subsequently sustaining frostbite to both his feet. This case illustrates the management of frostbite and highlights some key principles in the management of this problem.