Boy Scouts of America

Frostbite

SUMMARY

Serious injuries can occur when it’s cold and you spend time working, playing, or sleeping outside, particularly if you are wet or your clothes are wet or too tight. Scouts should be instructed to inform an adult as soon as possible if they are at an event, winter camp, or troop campout and start experiencing any of the symptoms identified in this Safety Moment.

GENERAL INFORMATION

There are four degrees of severity from the cold, ranging from frost nip to frostbite. The extent of the injury will depend on the individual’s length of exposure, outside temperature, wind chill, and how the exposure is treated. Listed below from the University of Utah Health Burn Center* are frostbite severities and descriptions of the identification and severity of injury, characteristics, prevention, and treatment guidelines.

Identification

  • First-degree frostnip (superficial)—Limited damage to skin, might be painful with no immediate blistering. Wounds will look like a central white area surrounded by pink skin, followed by mild swelling. Immediately remove yourself or someone with these symptoms from the cold and change clothing if needed. Soak the affected area in warm water or use body heat to provide warmth.
  • Second-degree frostbite (superficial)—This degree affects both the top layer of your skin and slightly deeper into your tissue. Signs are pink and moist tissue present beneath clear blisters, usually surrounded by redness and swelling. Be sure not to rub the affected area because friction might cause more damage to your skin. Take care not to damage the blisters because they are protecting the tissue underneath. Rewarming must begin immediately followed by professional medical care.
  • Third- or fourth-degree frostbite (deep)—These degrees are dangerous and can lead to damage in muscles, tendons, and bones (fourth degree). Skin feels frozen and hard and appears red, purple, or even black. If left untreated, a development of thick black dead tissue will follow over one to two weeks. Rewarming in this condition will induce critical pain.

Prevention and Treatment

  • Be prepared: Pack warm clothes and change them frequently, or as needed. At the first signs of redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold or protect any exposed skin—frostbite may be beginning.
  • Act quickly: Frostbite treatment needs to be addressed immediately. The most dangerous situations may occur hours away from a medical professional’s help. The first line of treatment is wearing appropriate clothing. Finding shelter to get out of the elements is necessary as well. Eating can also aid in elevating body temperature.
  • Prevention is key: Layering clothing, socks, gloves, scarves, and hats will help prevent frostbite, while removing layers can help to prevent excess sweating. Change clothing immediately if it becomes wet, including any base layers due to perspiration. Your base layer of clothing should fit loosely enough to allow full blood flow, which is necessary for warmth, and the air space between layers of clothing provides additional insulation against the elements such as cotton and wool material.
  • If anyone experiences or displays any symptoms of second-, third-, or fourth-degree frostbite, go to the nearest health-care facility immediately. For optimum results, injuries should be examined by a doctor as soon as possible.

RESOURCES

* This frostbite Safety Moment was created in partnership with the University of Utah Health Burn Center. For more information on this topic, please contact the center directly (801-581-3050), visit their website—healthcare.utah.edu/burncenter—or stop by. 

 

Reviewed March 20th 2024. 

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.