Cold Weather Injuries in an Arctic Environment

Abstract

The cases of eight Special Forces soldiers who sustained cold weather-related injuries while conducting winter training as part of Operation Arctic Saber in the Northwest Territories and Arctic Circle are reported. Environmentally related injuries can represent difficult diagnostic and treatment challenges in the field. Moreover, they may compromise the overall mission if they are not identified and treated early. Cold weather injuries can also result in long-term disfigurement and disability that may limit a soldier's future worldwide deployability. Mission requirements, equipment utilization, and environmental exposure place soldiers at particular risk for cold weather-related injuries in such austere settings. Nonetheless, with appropriate education and safety precautions, these potentially life-threatening risks can be greatly minimized.

A review of skin disease in military soldiers: challenges and potential solutions

“…Extreme weather conditions may affect soldiers who spend a larger portion of their day unsheltered in extreme cold or heat. Weather related injuries can have long-lasting effects on soldiers involving disfigurement and disability [ 153 ]. However, most weather related skin injuries may be avoided with education, proper use of protective clothes and footwear [ 111 , 154 ].…”

“…Frostbite is a common cold injury in military soldiers and most commonly affects the digits, ears, nose, and facial skin. Often, the severity of frostbite injury is not evident until a day or two after warming the tissue [ 153 ]. Other common cold weather injuries in military soldiers include immersion foot, pernio, Raynaud phenomenon, and cold urticaria [ 156 ].…”

Effects of 36-hour recovery on marksmanship and hormone concentrations during strenuous winter military survival training

“…Previous cold environment military studies have concentrated on energy expenditure and energy balance [ 7 , 16 , 17 ], protective clothing [ 18 ] and cold weather injuries [ 19 ]. Nykänen et al [ 17 ] has recently reported results of the present study population and setting regarding energy balance and changes in body composition.…”

Frostbite

“…[15][16][17] Varnado's case examples remind us of the need to assess features of development that are pertinent to helping patients adapt these important preventive interventions. Patient education may include consuming a high-protein, high-calorie diet to promote healing, smoking cessation, infection prevention, moisture control, and prevention of maceration between frostbitten digits, regaining range of motion of the affected body part.…”