• Burn is thermal injury that causes damage and necrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissue. The depth and severity of damage depends on strength of heat source and time of exposure. Tissue damage includes also blood cells damage that results in edema and inflammatory reaction.
     
  • Frostbite injury is local and acute damage of skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by a prolonged exposure to extreme cold. Most commonly affected are peripheral body parts, such as nose, ears, fingers and toes. Initial skin changes are manifested as induration of skin, pale color, later reddish and bluish skin. Affected area is usually less sensitive although a strong pain could also be present. Sudden cease of sensation of cold is a reliable sign that the cold injury process has begun. Reversible at the beginning, damage soon becomes irreversible. Frostbite injury could be either superficial or deep. In case of superficial injuries, boils filled with clear liquid appear after a couple of hours but even days. Deep injuries affect subcutaneous tissue, sometimes muscles, tendons and bones. Boils filled with liquid with traces of blood or appear on the surface. Untreated frostbite injury mainly ends as infection and gangrene.


HBOT lessens edema and inflammatory reaction, prevents wound infection, stimulates epithelization and regeneration of skin, lessens the depth of injury and loss of fluid via damaged tissue. In case of corrective surgical attempts, HBOT enhances survival of skin grafts, corrects lack of oxygen in tissues, hospital stay is shorter and necessity for later surgery.

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acute damage of skin regeneration of skin damage skin hbot therapy