{"id":1571,"date":"2024-02-16T15:22:27","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T15:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyretirementnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/16\/fda-approves-first-treatment-for-severe-frostbite\/"},"modified":"2024-02-16T15:22:27","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T15:22:27","slug":"fda-approves-first-treatment-for-severe-frostbite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyretirementnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/16\/fda-approves-first-treatment-for-severe-frostbite\/","title":{"rendered":"FDA approves first treatment for severe frostbite"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first treatment for severe frostbite to reduce the risk of finger or toe amputation in adults. <\/p>\n

Iloprost injection, marketed under the brand name Aurlumyn, is a vasodilator, a drug that opens blood vessels and prevents blood clotting. <\/p>\n

\u201cHaving this new option provides physicians with a tool that will help prevent the lifechanging amputation of one\u2019s frostbitten fingers or toes,\u201d\u00a0Dr. Norman Stockbridge, director of the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology in the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an FDA news release. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a game-changer, in my opinion,\u201d said Dr. Peter Hackett, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus who specializes in high-altitude and wilderness medicine. \u201cIt\u2019s a major step forward in frostbite treatment in the United States.\u201d <\/p>\n

Frostbite happens when skin and underlying tissues freeze, limiting blood flow to the area. Early symptoms include skin redness and pain, followed by numbness and white or grayish-yellow skin discoloration, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. <\/p>\n

Mild frostbite, also known as frostnip, does not cause permanent skin damage. However, severe frostbite can lead to permanent damage and require amputation, according to the FDA. <\/p>\n

\u201cSevere frostbite is not a very common problem in the US, but it\u2019s a devastating problem for those that have the injury because severe frostbite almost always leads to amputations,\u201d Hackett said. <\/p>\n

There are not many effective treatments for severe frostbite. In recent years, physicians have tried other clot-busting drugs to save frostbitten fingers and toes, but these medications come with a high risk of bleeding and are effective only within 24 hours of the injury, Hackett said. <\/p>\n

In contrast, he said, iloprost does not carry a risk of bleeding and can be used up to three days after the injury. He added that iloprost has been used to treat severe frostbite in other parts of the world \u2013 like Canada, Nepal and Europe \u2013 for years. <\/p>\n

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