Until recently, the treatment of frostbite injuries has been limited to supportive care only, with mediocre outcomes. The use of thrombolytic therapy has been presented in a limited fashion in the literature since 2005. This case study describes the work-up and treatment of a patient with severe frostbite injury who received tPA. We then discuss thrombolytic therapy in more detail, with particular attention to the two studies outlining different treatment regimens.
Keywords: Frostbite; cold injury; hypothermia; thrombolytic.