Science/Medicine : New Technique Aids Frostbite Diagnosis

It is not always easy for doctors to tell whether frostbite damage to toes or other extremities will make amputation necessary.

But a new bone-scanning technique developed at the University of Wisconsin in Madison offers a quick and accurate diagnosis to determine whether treatment might save a frostbitten body part.

“We know right away, within hours, whether the injury is just superficial or a lot more serious,” Dr. Rahul Mehta said. “It really helps guide therapy and in some cases can reassure the patient.”

The technique involves injecting the patient with a low-dose radioactive tracer and taking repeated scans of the affected area with a gamma camera. Those patients who still have any blood flowing to the extremity will show some radioactive uptake within 2.5 hours. Tissues failing to show such flow are likely dead, Mehta said.