 Toxic by all routes of exposure – inhalation, ingestion, skin contact  Carcinogenic in humans  Inhalation of vinyl chloride causes coughing, wheezing and breathlessness, headache, ataxia, drowsiness and coma  Ingestion of vinyl chloride causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and haematemesis may occur.  Skin contact causes irritation, pain, burns and contact dermatitis. Rapid...

Ectotherms in northern latitudes are seasonally exposed to cold temperatures. To improve survival under cold stress, they use diverse mechanisms to increase temperature resistance and prevent tissue damage. The accumulation of anti-freeze proteins that improve cold hardiness occurs in diverse species including plants, arthropods, fish, and amphibians. We previously identified an Ixodes scapular...

Application of ointments to the face is one of many measures used to avoid frostbite of the head in cold climates. A recent epidemiological study indicated, however, that the use of ointments in the cold may be a considerable risk factor in development of frostbite of the face and ears. A questionnaire on the use of protective ointments was completed by 830 young male conscripts divided into 4 ...

Low air temperatures and high wind speeds are associated with an increased risk of freezing of the exposed skin. P. A. Siple and C. F. Passel (Proc. Am. Phil. Soc. 89: 177-199, 1945) derived their windchill index from cooling experiments on a water-filled cylinder to quantify the risk of frostbite. Their results are reexamined here. It is found that their windchill index does not correctly desc...

Experience with severe frostbite and other similar cold injuries during the recent war demonstrated the inadequacy of our knowledge of these conditions and the need for developing effective means for preventing their serious sequelae. Great controversy exists concerning the proper early treatment of severe frostbite. The radically divergent opinions held arise from disagreement as to the exact ...

We report a 36-year-old woman with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1 presenting with extensive skin necrosis of the left arm. The patient cooled her arm with ice packs to ease severe pain due to CRPS, in spite of repeated cautions against frostbite injury. The regions of skin necrosis corresponded with the sites where she had applied ice packs. We considered that the severe skin necr...

We describe a case of frostbite to all fingers of a mountain climber, treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). All fingers eventually healed to full function, with only some cosmetic deformity to the tip of the most severely affected finger. Because few cases of frostbite treated with HBO have been reported, we hope that such case reports will stimulate future research in this area. It is hoped th...

Very little is written about replantation of frostbitten amputated parts due to exposure to very low temperature for extended periods. In this case report the amputated parts were placed directly on an ice pack and exposed the cold during transportation. This caused frostbite of the amputated parts. The replantation of frostbitten amputated digits was performed successfully but the postoperativ...