Medicines against frostbite approved for the first time in the USA – News

For the first time in history, a drug against frostbite was approved

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a drug for the first time to treat severe frostbite in adults.

The drug reduces the risk of amputation of fingers or toes, the press release states.

Frostbite can occur in several stages.

The first stage or mild frostbite does not require medical intervention. However, severe frostbite causes the skin and tissues to freeze, stopping blood flow. When it is no longer possible to restore the blood supply to the tissues, doctors are forced to amputate the limb.

The injectable drug Aurlumyn, approved in the US, contains the active ingredient iloprost, which dilates blood vessels and prevents blood clotting. In this way, the medicine helped to restore blood flow in the frostbitten areas of the hands and feet.

“This approval (of the drug – ed.) provides patients with the first-ever treatment option for severe frostbite,” – noted Dr. Norman Stockbridge, director of the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The tool has proven effectiveness in the treatment of severe frostbite: scientists conducted research in 1996-2008.

47 adults with severe frostbite took part in the experiment. They were divided into three groups. The first received aspirin and iloprost every 6 hours for 8 days.

The second group received aspirin and an analogue of iloprost (which was not approved by the FDA), and patients in the third group received aspirin alone.

The main measure of effectiveness was a bone scan, which was done 7 days after the initial frostbite. Based on this X-ray, doctors decided whether to amputate at least one finger or toe.

In the iloprost plus aspirin group, no one required amputation.

However, the frostbite drug also has a number of side effects. These include headache, fast heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and hypotension (blood pressure that is too low).

We will remind that soldiers who are in the trenches are most often faced with severe frostbite. The State Border Service provided 9 tips on how to avoid frostbite.