Browse categories and answer follow-up questions to refine your symptom profile.
Immediate priorities
Stabilization and triage
Airway compromise
If depressed mental status, airway protection
If aspiration risk, suction and positioning
Breathing compromise
If hypoventilation, assisted ventilation
If hypoxia, supplemental oxygen
Circulation compromise
If shock, isotonic crystalloid bolus and reassessment
If dysrhythmia, ACLS pathway
Hypothermia screening and management
Core temperature measurement
If moderate to severe hypothermia, active core rewarming and continuous monitoring
Concurrent trauma and cold injury coassessment
If polytrauma, trauma pathway and imaging
If compartment syndrome concern, urgent surgical consultation
Limb threat assessment
Limb viability and time sensitivity
Time from cold exposure to rewarming
Time of freezing
Any refreezing episodes
After rewarming perfusion assessment
Capillary refill
Doppler signals
Sensation and motor function
If absent perfusion after rewarming, urgent burn or vascular consultation
Thrombolysis or vasodilator candidacy window assessment
Transfer to center with frostbite capability
Rapid rewarming decision
Rewarming strategy selection
If risk of refreezing, delay active rewarming until refreezing risk eliminated
If no refreezing risk, rapid water bath rewarming
Water temperature 37 to 39 C
Duration 15 to 30 minutes
Analgesia requirement during rewarming
If severe pain, opioid analgesia
Severity classification and documentation
Frostbite staging
Frostnip
Transient pallor and numbness
No tissue freezing
Superficial frostbite
Skin freezing
Clear blisters possible
Deep frostbite
Full thickness tissue freezing
Hemorrhagic blisters possible
Cauchy frostbite grading for prognosis
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Photodocumentation
Pre rewarming appearance
Post rewarming appearance
Blister type and distribution
SymptomDx is an educational tool for medical professionals. It does not replace clinical judgment. Verify all clinical data and drug dosages with authoritative sources.