title: Frostbite injury: a paragliding accident at 5500 meters.
abstract: Frostbite as a result of mountaineering or arctic expeditions is a well-known problem. In this article a rare case of frostbite injury following a paragliding accident at high altitude is described. A cumulonimbus cloud formation drifted the patient up with a high velocity to approximately 5500 m. He acquired frostbite injuries of the neck, wrists, hands and left leg, affecting 5% of the total body surface area. The frostbite was initially treated by rewarming, with later debridement and local application of silver sulfadiazine and povidone-iodine dressings. Within three months all the injuries were healed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery/Traumatology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.terra@vumc.nl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.forename: A F P M
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Vloemans
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Breederveld
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000531:Altitude; D005627:Frostbite / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000293:injuries*