Fifteen males, 19-45 years old, stationed between altitudes 3690 and 5540 m in the Western Himalayas who were frostbitten were studied within 24 hours of the injury and then 4 weeks and 1 year after for blood coagulation defects. The following disturbances were found: fibrinogen degradation products and factor VIII-related antigen were increased; fibrinogen, platelet counts and haematocrit were decreased; platelet adhesiveness was increased; euglobulin lysis time was prolonged; antithrombin III,α-1 antitrypsin and α-2 macroglobulin were markedly decreased; IgG and IgA immunoglobulins and cryoglobulins were increased; serum albumin was decreased and IgM immunoglobulin consumption was increased.These abnormalities increase platelet adhesiveness and diminish fibrinolytic activity and promote intravascular thrombosis.Furosemide increases fibrinolytic activity and suppresses platelet adhesiveness in vivo (I. Singh and I.S. Chohan, Int. J. Biometeor. 17, 73, 1973). Its use in the prevention of frostbite is under investigation.
Blood Coagulation, Fibrinolytic Activity, Platelet Function and Immunoglobulins in Frostbite
